Medical Terminology VIII

UVR

abbr, ultraviolet radiation

UTI

abbr, urinary tract infection

UPPP

abbr, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty

VBAC

abbr, vaginal birth after Caesarean section

VDH

abbr, valvular disease of the heart

UV

abbreviation, ultraviolet

triphosphate

adenosine triphosphate

synostosed

adjective, (of bones) fused together with new bone tissue

striated

adjective, marked with pale lines

subtotal

adjective, referring to an operation to remove most of an organ

unicellular

adjective, referring to an organism formed of one cell

thermophilic

adjective, referring to an organism which needs a high temperature to grow

viviparous

adjective, referring to animals which bear live young, such as humans, as opposed to birds and reptiles which lay eggs

vascular

adjective, referring to blood vessels

tibiofibular

adjective, referring to both the tibia and the fibula

tracheobronchial

adjective, referring to both the trachea and the bronchi

tabetic

adjective, wasting away or affected by tabes dorsalis

twice

adverb, two times twice daily two times a day

vitae

arbor vitae

superfetation

noun, a condition in which an ovum is fertilised in a woman who is already pregnant

verbigeration

noun, a condition seen in people with mental disorders, in which they keep saying the same words over and over again

titanium

noun, a light metallic element which does not corrode (NOTE: The chemical symbol is Ti.)

streak

noun, a long thin line of a different colour

steriliser / sterilizer

noun, a machine for sterilising surgical instruments by steam or boiling water

ultrasonograph

noun, a machine which takes pictures of internal organs, using ultrasound

teratocarcinoma

noun, a malignant teratoma, usually in the testes

Trichomonas

noun, a species of long thin parasite which infests the intestines

turgescence

noun, a swelling in body tissue caused by the accumulation of fluid

Todd's paralysis /Todd's palsy

noun, a temporary paralysis of part of the body which has been the starting point of focal epilepsy

thread

noun, a thin piece of cotton, suture, etc. The surgeon used strong thread to make the suture. verb, to insert a thin piece of cotton, suture, etc. through the eye of a needle

Trichuris

noun, a thin round parasitic worm which infests the caecum. Also called whipworm

trabecula

noun, a thin strip of stiff tissue which divides an organ or bone tissue into sections (NOTE: The plural is trabeculae.)

sweat duct

noun, a thin tube connecting the sweat gland with the surface of the skin

trichophytosis

noun, an infection caused by Trichophyton

thermometer

noun, an instrument for measuring temperature

vaginal orifice

noun, an opening leading from the vulva to the uterus

trophic ulcer

noun, an ulcer caused by lack of blood, e.g. a bedsore

venous ulcer

noun, an ulcer in the leg, caused by varicose veins or by a blood clot

unstable angina

noun, angina which has suddenly become worse

tenovaginitis

noun, inflammation of the tendon sheath, especially in the thumb

thymitis

noun, inflammation of the thymus gland

urethritis

noun, inflammation of the urethra

vaginitis

noun, inflammation of the vagina which is mainly caused by the bacterium; Trichomonas vaginalis or by a fungus Candida albicans

subtotal thyroidectomy

noun, the surgical removal of most of the thyroid gland

unilateral oophorectomy

noun, the surgical removal of one ovary

urinary tract

noun, the set of tubes down which the urine passes from the kidneys to the bladder and from the bladder out of the body

thumb

noun, the short thick finger, with only two bones, which is separated from the other four fingers on the hand

surface

noun, the top layer of something; The surfaces of the two membranes may rub together.

vertex

noun, the top of the skull

thigh

noun, the top part of the leg from the knee to the groin

vaccinotherapy

noun, the treatment of a disease with a vaccine

therapy

noun, the treatment of a person to help cure a disease or disorder

surgical intervention

noun, the treatment of disease or other condition by surgery

vocal folds

plural noun, same as vocal cords

tali

plural of talus

terat- / terato-

prefix, congenitally unusual

thym-

prefix, referring to the thymus gland

thyro-

prefix, referring to the thyroid gland

trich-

prefix, same as tricho- (used before vowels)

troph-

prefix, same as tropho- (used before vowels)

tympan-

prefix, same as tympano- (NOTE: used before vowels)

ureter-

prefix, same as uretero- (used before vowels)

urethr-

prefix, same as urethro- (used before vowels)

turricephaly

same as oxycephaly

vein

noun, a blood vessel which takes deoxygenated blood containing waste carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the heart (NOTE: For other terms referring to veins see words beginning phleb-, phlebo- or vene-, veno-.)

textbook

noun, a book which is used by students a haematology textbook or a textbook on haematology

washbasin

noun, a bowl in a kitchen or bathroom where you can wash yourhands

vertebro-basilar insufficiency

noun, a brainstem ischaemia due to temporary occlusion of the arteries

symptomatology

noun, a branch of medicine concerned with the study of symptoms. Also called semeiology

tropical medicine

noun, a branch of medicine which deals with tropical diseases

stomatology

noun, a branch of medicine which studies diseases of the mouth

syndesmology

noun, a branch of medicine which studies joints

traumatology

noun, a branch of surgery which deals with injuries received in accidents

superior vena cava

noun, a branch of the large vein into the heart, carrying blood from the head and the top part of the body.

stercobilin

noun, a brown pigment which colours the faeces

third-degree burn

noun, a burn in which the skin and the tissues beneath it are severely damaged

Volkmann's canal

noun, a canal running horizontally through compact bone, carrying blood to the Haversian systems [After Richard von Volkmann (1830-89), German surgeon]

textbook case

noun, a case which shows symptoms which are exactly like those described in a textbook, a very typical case

ureteric catheter

noun, a catheter passed through the ureter to the kidney, to inject an opaque solution into the kidney before taking an X-ray

urethral catheter

noun, a catheter passed up the urethra to allow urine to flow out of the bladder, used to empty the bladder before an abdominal operation. Also called urinary catheter

trichotillomania

noun, a condition in which a person pulls his or her hair out compulsively

transsexualism

noun, a condition in which a person, especially a man, feels uncomfortable with their birth gender

undescended testis

noun, a condition in which a testis has not descended into the scrotum

unwanted pregnancy

noun, a condition in which a woman becomes pregnant without wanting to have a child

ventricular septal defect

noun, a condition in which blood can flow between the two ventricles of the heart, because the intraventricular septum has not developed properly. Abbr, VSD. Compare atrial septal defect

uridrosis

noun, a condition in which excessive urea forms in the sweat

swelling

noun, a condition in which fluid accumulates in tissue, making the tissue become large They applied a cold compress to try to reduce the swelling.

stiff neck

noun, a condition in which moving the neck is painful, usually caused by a strained muscle or by sitting in a cold wind

strangulated hernia

noun, a condition in which part of the intestine is squeezed in a hernia and the supply of blood to it is cut off

toxaemia of pregnancy

noun, a condition which can affect women towards the end of pregnancy, in which they develop high blood pressure and pass protein in the urine

Tourette's syndrome / Tourette syndrome

noun, a condition which includes involuntary movements, tics, use of foul language and respiratory disorders. Also called Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome

subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord

noun, a condition, caused by Vitamin B12 deficiency, in which the sensory and motor nerves in the spinal cord become damaged and the person has difficulty in moving

trench foot

noun, a condition, caused by exposure to cold and damp, in which the skin of the foot becomes red and blistered and in severe cases turns black when gangrene sets in. Also called immersion foot (NOTE: Trench foot was common among soldiers serving in the trenches during the First World War.)

Turner's syndrome

noun, a congenital condition in females, caused by the absence of one of the pair of X chromosomes, in which sexual development is retarded and no ovaries develop [Described 1938. After Henry Hubert Turner (b. 1892), US endocrinologist, Clinical professor of Medicine, Oklahoma University, USA.]

tetradactyly

noun, a congenital condition in which a child has only four fingers or toes

transposition

noun, a congenital condition where the aorta and pulmonary artery are placed on the opposite side of the body to their usual position

trachoma

noun, a contagious viral inflammation of the eyelids, common in tropical countries, which can cause blindness if the conjunctiva becomes scarred

syncytium

noun, a continuous length of tissue in muscle fibres

vasoconstriction

noun, a contraction of blood vessels which makes them narrower

umbilical cord

noun, a cord containing two arteries and one vein which links the fetus inside the uterus to the placenta; COMMENT: The arteries carry the blood and nutrients from the placenta to the fetus and the vein carries the waste from the fetus back to the placenta. When the baby is born, the umbilical cord is cut and the end tied in a knot. After a few days, this drops off, leaving the navel marking the place where the cord was originally attached.

tegument

noun, a covering, especially the protective outer covering of an organism

sunscreen

noun, a cream for rubbing into the skin that acts as a block against the harmful rays of the sun, used to reduce the risk of sunburn

subculture

noun, a culture of bacteria which is taken from a stock culture

ventouse

noun, a cup-like vacuum device attached to the top of an unborn baby's head in the process of delivery, used to enable a distressed baby to be born quickly

vectis

noun, a curved surgical instrument used in childbirth

thyroglossal cyst

noun, a cyst in the front of the neck

Sturge-Weber syndrome

noun, a dark red mark on the skin above the eye, together with similar marks inside the brain, possibly causing epileptic fits

violet

noun, a dark, purplish blue colour at the end of the visible spectrum

tela

noun, a delicate part or tissue in the body with a fine or intricate pattern like a web

sublimate

noun, a deposit left when a vapour condenses; verb, to convert violent emotion into action which is not antisocial

tophus

noun, a deposit of solid crystals in the skin or in the joints, especially in someone with gout (NOTE: The plural is tophi.)

temporal fossa

noun, a depression in the side of the head, in the temporal bone above the zygomatic arch

thermograph

noun, a device that shows patterns of heat radiated from a body, used in diagnosis

vibrator

noun, a device to produce vibrations, which may be used for massages

vaporiser / vaporizer

noun, a device which warms a liquid to which medicinal oil has been added, so that it provides a vapour which someone can inhale

trichinosis / trichiniasis

noun, a disease caused by infestation of the intestine by larvae of roundworms or nematodes, which pass round the body in the bloodstream and settle in muscles; COMMENT: The larvae enter the body in meat, especially pork, which has not been properly cooked.

toxoplasmosis

noun, a disease caused by the parasite; Toxoplasma which is carried by animals. Toxoplasmosis can cause encephalitis or hydrocephalus and can be fatal.

von Hippel-Lindau syndrome

noun, a disease in which angiomas of the brain are related to angiomas and cysts in other parts of the body

thrombocythaemia

noun, a disease in which someone has an unusually high number of platelets in the blood

storage disease

noun, a disease in which unusual amounts of a substance accumulate in a part of the body

tularaemia

noun, a disease of rabbits, caused by the bacterium; Pasteurella or Brucella tularensis, which can be passed to humans. In humans, the symptoms are headaches, fever and swollen lymph nodes. Also called rabbit fever (NOTE: The US spelling is tularemia.)

thromboangiitis obliterans

noun, a disease of the arteries in which the blood vessels in a limb, usually the leg, become narrow, causing gangrene. Also called Buerger's disease

trichomycosis

noun, a disease of the hair caused by a corynebacterium

tabes dorsalis

noun, a disease of the nervous system, caused by advanced syphilis, in which the person loses the sense of feeling, control of the bladder and the ability to coordinate movements of the legs, and has severe pains. Also called locomotor ataxia

wasting disease

noun, a disease which causes severe loss of weight or reduction in size of an organ

syringomyelia

noun, a disease which forms cavities in the neck section of the spinal cord, affecting the nerves so that the person loses the sense of touch and pain

tropical disease

noun, a disease which is found in tropical countries, e.g. malaria, dengue or Lassa fever

venereal disease

noun, a disease which is passed from one person to another during sexual intercourse. Abbr; VD (NOTE: Now usually called a sexually transmitted disease (STD).)

trypanosomiasis

noun, a disease, spread by insect bites, where trypanosomes infest the blood. Symptoms are pains in the head, general lethargy and long periods of sleep. COMMENT: In Africa, sleeping sickness, and in South America, Chagas' disease, are both caused by trypanosomes.

uraemia

noun, a disorder caused by kidney failure, where urea is retained in the blood, and the person develops nausea, convulsions and in severe cases goes into a coma (NOTE: The US spelling is uremia.)

stress disorder

noun, a disorder caused by stress

tetralogy of Fallot

noun, a disorder of the heart which makes a child's skin blue. Also called Fallot's tetralogy. Blalock's operation, Waterston's operation; COMMENT: The condition is formed of four conditions occurring together: the artery leading to the lungs is narrow, the right ventricle is enlarged, there is a disorder in the membrane between the ventricles and the aorta is not correctly placed.

trigeminal neuralgia

noun, a disorder of the trigeminal nerve, which sends intense pains shooting across the face. Also called tic douloureux

trouble

noun, a disorder or condition (informal ) stomach trouble treatment for back trouble

venereologist

noun, a doctor who specialises in the study of venereal diseases

urologist

noun, a doctor who specialises in urology

tulle gras

noun, a dressing made of open gauze covered with soft paraffin wax which prevents sticking

sterile dressing

noun, a dressing which is sold in a sterile pack, ready for use

sulfasalazine

noun, a drug belonging to the sulfonamide group of antibacterial drugs. It is used in the treatment of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, and also of severe rheumatoid arthritis.

suxamethonium

noun, a drug similar to acetylcholine in structure, used as a muscle relaxant during surgery

tranexamic acid

noun, a drug used to control severe bleeding

tricyclic antidepressant /tricyclic antidepressant drug

noun, a drug used to treat depression and panic disorder, e.g. amitriptyline and nortriptyline; COMMENT: Antimuscarinic and cardiac side-effects can occur; rapid withdrawal should be avoided.

sumatriptan

noun, a drug which helps to narrow the blood vessels, used in the treatment of acute migraine

tamoxifen

noun, a drug which helps to prevent the actions of oestrogen, used especially in the treatment of breast cancer and some types of infertility

uricosuric

noun, a drug which increases the amount of uric acid excreted in the urine

topical drug

noun, a drug which is applied to a specific external part of the body only

trypanocide

noun, a drug which kills trypanosomes

tolbutamide

noun, a drug which lowers blood-glucose levels by stimulating the pancreas to produce more insulin. It is used in the treatment of Type II diabetes.

sudorific

noun, a drug which makes someone sweat

thyroid depressant

noun, a drug which reduces the activity of the thyroid gland

terbutaline

noun, a drug which relaxes muscles, used in the treatment of respiratory disorders and to control premature labour

sympatholytic

noun, a drug which stops the sympathetic nervous system working

Stensen's duct

noun, a duct which carries saliva from the parotid glands [Described 1661. After Niels Stensen (1638-86), Danish physician and priest, anatomist, physiologist and theologian.]

ventilatory failure

noun, a failure of the lungs to oxygenate the blood correctly

vasovagal attack

noun, a fainting fit as a result of a slowing down of the heartbeats caused by excessive activity of the vagus nerve

tachyarrhythmia

noun, a fast irregular heartbeat

very low density lipoprotein

noun, a fat produced by the liver after food has been absorbed and before it becomes low density lipoprotein. Abbr, VLDL

tenderness

noun, a feel of pain when touched; Tenderness when pressure is applied is a sign of inflammation.

tingling

noun, a feeling of pricking or stinging in a body part an unpleasant tingling down her arm; adjective, pricking or stinging a tingling sensation

thirst

noun, a feeling of wanting to drink; He had a fever and a violent thirst.

virgin

noun, a female who has not experienced sexual intercourse

trench fever

noun, a fever caused by Rickettsia bacteria, similar to typhus but recurring every five days

traumatic fever

noun, a fever caused by an injury

Volkmann's contracture

noun, a fibrosis and tightening of the muscles of the forearm because blood supply has been restricted, leading to contraction of the fingers

urogenital diaphragm

noun, a fibrous layer beneath the prostate gland through which the urethra passes

thread vein

noun, a fine vein that is visible through the skin

surgical belt

noun, a fitted covering, worn to support part of the back, chest or abdomen

valve

noun, a flap which opens and closes to allow liquid to pass in one direction only, e.g. in the heart, blood vessels or lymphatic vessels

temporalis / temporalis muscle

noun, a flat muscle running down the side of the head from the temporal bone to the coronoid process, which makes the jaw move up

subcutaneous oedema

noun, a fluid collecting under the skin, usually at the ankles

synovial fluid

noun, a fluid secreted by a synovial membrane to lubricate a joint.

transudate

noun, a fluid which passes through the pores of a membrane. It contains less protein or solid material than an exudate.

Trypanosoma / trypanosome

noun, a microscopic organism which lives as a parasite in human blood. It is transmitted by the bite of insects such as the tsetse fly and causes sleeping sickness and other serious illnesses.

transient ischaemic attack

noun, a mild stroke caused by a brief stoppage of blood supply to the brain. Abbr, TIA

toxoid-antitoxin

noun, a mixture of a toxoid and an antitoxin, used as a vaccine

venene

noun, a mixture of different venoms, used to produce antivenene

Watson-Crick helix

noun, a molecular model for DNA in which the organic base pairs are linked by hydrogen bonds which form the rungs of a ladder spiralling in the form of a helix

voluntary movement

noun, a movement directed by the person's willpower, using voluntary muscles, e.g. walking or speaking

visceroptosis

noun, a movement of an internal organ downwards from its usual position

step

noun, a movement of the foot and the leg as in walking He took two steps forward. The baby is taking her first steps.

triceps

noun, a muscle formed of three parts, which are joined to form one tendon

triceps brachii

noun, a muscle in the back part of the upper arm which makes the forearm stretch out

sternohyoid muscle

noun, a muscle in the neck which runs from the breastbone into the hyoid bone

sternocleidomastoid muscle

noun, a muscle in the neck, running from the breastbone to the mastoid process

synergist

noun, a muscle or drug which acts with another and increases the effectiveness of both

vasospasm

noun, a muscle spasm causing the fingers to become cold, white and numb. Raynaud's disease

voluntary muscle

noun, a muscle which is consciously controlled. It is usually made up of striated fibres. COMMENT: Voluntary muscles work in pairs, where one contracts and pulls, while the other relaxes to allow the bone to move.

styloglossus

noun, a muscle which links the tongue to the styloid process

tensor

noun, a muscle which makes a joint stretch out

supinator

noun, a muscle which turns the hand so that the palm faces upwards

vallecula

noun, a natural depression or fissure in an organ as between the hemispheres of the brain (NOTE: The plural is valleculae.)

surgical needle

noun, a needle for sewing up surgical incisions

stop needle

noun, a needle with a ring round it, so that it can only be pushed a specific distance into the body

vasomotor centre

noun, a nerve centre in the brain which changes the rate of heartbeat and the diameter of blood vessels and so regulates blood pressure

vasomotor nerve

noun, a nerve in the wall of a blood vessel which affects the diameter of the vessel

ulnar nerve

noun, a nerve which runs from the neck to the elbow and controls the muscles in the forearm and some of the fingers; COMMENT: The ulnar nerve passes near the surface of the skin at the elbow, where it can easily be hit, giving the effect of the 'funny bone'.

upper motor neurone

noun, a neurone which takes impulses from the cerebral cortex

unipolar neurone

noun, a neurone with a single process. Compare multipolar neurone, bipolar neurone.

substance P

noun, a neurotransmitter involved in pain pathways

vertex delivery

noun, a normal birth, where the baby's head appears first

supraoptic nucleus

noun, a nucleus in the hypothalamus from which nerve fibres run to the posterior pituitary gland

ward manager

noun, a nurse in charge of a ward

theatre nurse

noun, a nurse who is specially trained to assist a surgeon during an operation

ward nurse

noun, a nurse who works in a hospital ward

toothache

noun, a pain in a tooth. Also called odontalgia

tarsalgia

noun, a pain in the ankle

take off

verb, to remove something, especially clothes; The doctor asked him to take his shirt off or to take off his shirt.

tremble

verb, to shake or shiver slightly

stunt

verb, to stop something growing; The children's development was stunted by disease.

supportive

adjective, helping or comforting someone in trouble; Her family was very supportive when she was in hospital. The local health authority has been very supportive of the hospital management.

tall

adjective, high, usually higher than other people He's the tallest in the family -he's taller than all his brothers. How tall is he? He's 5 foot 7 inches (5'7") tall or 1.25 metres tall.

unwell

adjective, ill She felt unwell and had to go home. (NOTE: Not used before a noun: a sick woman but the woman was unwell.)

subperiosteal

adjective, immediately beneath the connective tissue around bones

transitional

adjective, in the process of developing into something

trigeminal

adjective, in three parts

virile

adjective, like a man, with strong male characteristics

susceptible

adjective, likely to catch a disease She is susceptible to colds or to throat infections.

vulnerable

adjective, likely to catch a disease because of being in a weakened state; Premature babies are especially vulnerable to infection.

unsteady

adjective, likely to fall down when walking; She is still very unsteady on her legs.

watery

adjective, liquid, like water; He passed some watery stools.

tropical

adjective, located in or coming from areas around the equator where the climate is generally very hot and humid

synthetic

adjective, made by humans, made artificially

stratified

adjective, made of several layers

urgent

adjective, needing to be done quickly She had an urgent operation for strangulated hernia.

stiff

adjective, not able to be bent or moved easily My knee is stiff after playing football.

uncontrollable

adjective, not able to be controlled; The uncontrollable spread of the disease through the population.

waterproof

adjective, not allowing water through Put a waterproof sheet on the baby's bed.

unconscious

adjective, not aware of what is happening; She was unconscious for two days after the accident. noun, the unconscious (in psychology) the part of the mind which stores feelings, memories or desires that someone cannot consciously call up. subconscious

unhygienic

adjective, not clean or good for health; The conditions in the hospital laundry have been criticised as unhygienic.

undiagnosed

adjective, not identified as a specific disease or disorder

transient

adjective, not lasting long

temporary

adjective, not permanent; The dentist gave him a temporary filling. The accident team put a temporary bandage on the wound.

unfit

adjective, not physically healthy

weak

adjective, not strong After his illness he was very weak. She is too weak to dress herself. He is allowed to drink weak tea or coffee.

uncoordinated

adjective, not working together His finger movements are completely uncoordinated.

superficial

adjective, on the surface, close to the surface or on the skin superficial burn burn on the skin surface

sweet

adjective, one of the basic tastes, not bitter, sour or salt; Sugar is sweet, lemons are sour.

styloid

adjective, pointed

toxic

adjective, poisonous

sudoriferous

adjective, producing sweat

suppurating

adjective, purulent, containing or discharging pus

warm

adjective, quite hot, pleasantly hot; The patients need to be kept warm in cold weather.

trisomic

adjective, referring to Down's syndrome

tubo-ovarian

adjective, referring to a Fallopian tube and an ovary

tuboabdominal

adjective, referring to a Fallopian tube and the abdomen

stillborn

adjective, referring to a baby born dead Her first child was stillborn.

triploid

adjective, referring to a cell where each chromosome, except the sex chromosome, occurs three times, which is not viable in humans

subacute

adjective, referring to a condition which is not acute but may become chronic

subclinical

adjective, referring to a disease which is present in the body, but which has not yet developed any symptoms

sympathomimetic

adjective, referring to a drug such as dopamine hydrochloride which stimulates the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and is used in cardiac shock following myocardial infarction and in cardiac surgery

transdermal

adjective, referring to a drug which is released through the skin

unviable

adjective, referring to a fetus that cannot live if born

viable

adjective, referring to a fetus which can survive if born; A fetus is viable by about the 28th week of pregnancy.

tertian

adjective, referring to a fever with symptoms which appear every other day; noun, a tertian fever or set of symptoms

viscid

adjective, referring to a liquid which is sticky and slow-moving

viscous

adjective, referring to a liquid which is thick and slow-moving

volatile

adjective, referring to a liquid which turns into gas at room temperature

ultraviolet

adjective, referring to the short invisible rays beyond the violet end of the spectrum, which form the element in sunlight which tans the skin, helps the skin produce Vitamin D and kills bacteria. Abbr, UV

sternocostal

adjective, referring to the sternum and ribs

sternoclavicular

adjective, referring to the sternum and the clavicle

synovial

adjective, referring to the synovium

systolic

adjective, referring to the systole

tarsal

adjective, referring to the tarsus; noun, same as tarsal bone

temporal

adjective, referring to the temple

testicular

adjective, referring to the testes Testicular cancer comprises only 1% of all malignant neoplasms in the male.

thoracolumbar

adjective, referring to the thoracic and lumbar areas of the body

thymic

adjective, referring to the thymus gland

thyroglossal

adjective, referring to the thyroid gland and the throat

tibial

adjective, referring to the tibia

tonsillar

adjective, referring to the tonsils

tracheal

adjective, referring to the trachea

ulnar

adjective, referring to the ulna; '...the whole joint becomes disorganised, causing ulnar deviation of the fingers resulting in the typical deformity of the rheumatoid arthritic hand' [Nursing Times]

ureterovaginal

adjective, referring to the ureter and the vagina

ureteral

adjective, referring to the ureters

urethral

adjective, referring to the urethra

urogenital

adjective, referring to the urinary and genital systems. Also called urinogenital

uterine

adjective, referring to the uterus

uterovesical

adjective, referring to the uterus and the bladder

utero-ovarian

adjective, referring to the uterus and the ovaries

vagal

adjective, referring to the vagus nerve

vital

adjective, very important or necessary for life If circulation is stopped, vital nerve cells begin to die in a few minutes. Oxygen is vital to the human system.

violent

adjective, very strong, very severe; He had a violent headache. Her reaction to the injection was violent.

thirsty

adjective, wanting to drink; If the patient is thirsty, give her a glass of water. (NOTE: thirstier - thirstiest)

underweight

adjective, weighing less than is medically advisable; He is several pounds underweight for his age.

wakeful

adjective, wide awake, not wanting to sleep

subnormal

adjective, with a mind which has not developed fully (NOTE: This term is regarded as offensive.)

umbilicated

adjective, with a small depression, like a navel, in the centre

tuberose

adjective, with lumps or nodules

tuberous

adjective, with lumps or nodules

straight

adjective, with no irregularities such as bends, curves or angles

strabismal

adjective, with the eyes focusing on different points

triangular

adjective, with three sides

unaided

adjective, without any help; Two days after the operation, he was able to walk unaided.

successful

adjective, working well, The operation was completely successful.

t.i.d. / TID

adverb, (used on prescriptions) three times a day. Full form ter in die

t.d.s./TDS

adverb, (written on prescriptions) three times a day. Full form ter in diem sumendus

upside-down stomach

adverb, US diaphragmatic hernia

topically

adverb, by putting on a specific external part of the body only; The cream is applied topically.

urgently

adverb, immediately; The relief team urgently requires more medical supplies.

stiffly

adverb, in a stiff way; He is walking stiffly because of the pain in his hip.

violently

adverb, in a strong way; He reacted violently to the antihistamine.

typically

adverb, in a typical way

subject to

adverb, likely to experience; The patient is subject to fits. After returning from the tropics she was subject to attacks of malaria.

synthetically

adverb, made artificially; Synthetically produced hormones are used in hormone therapy.

surgically

adverb, using surgery; The growth can be treated surgically.

upside down

adverb, with the top turned to the bottom

suppository

noun, a piece of a soluble material such as glycerine jelly containing a drug, which is placed in the rectum to act as lubricant, or in the vagina, to treat disorders such as vaginitis, and is dissolved by the body's fluids

superego

noun, (in psychology) the part of the mind which is a person's conscience, which is concerned with right and wrong

validity

noun, (of a study) the fact of being based on sound research and methods which exclude alternative explanations of a result

varicosity

noun, (of veins) the condition of being swollen and twisted

vomica

noun, 1. a cavity in the lungs containing pus; 2. the act of vomiting pus from the throat or lungs

strain

noun, 1. a condition in which a muscle has been stretched or torn by a strong or sudden movement; 2. a group of microorganisms which are different from others of the same type a new strain of influenza virus; 3. nervous tension and stress; Her work is causing her a lot of strain. He is suffering from nervous strain and needs to relax. verb, to stretch a muscle too far; He strained his back lifting the table. She had to leave the game with a strained calf muscle. The effort of running upstairs strained his heart.

swab

noun, 1. a cotton wool pad, often attached to a small stick, used, e.g., to clean a wound, to apply ointment or to take a specimen; 2. a specimen taken with a swab a cervical swab

tear

noun, 1. a drop of the salty fluid which forms in the lacrimal gland. The fluid keeps the eyeball moist and clean and is produced in large quantities when a person cries. Tears ran down her face. (NOTE: For other terms referring to tears, see words beginning with dacryo- or lacrimal.) she burst into tears she suddenly started to cry; 2. a hole or a split in a tissue often due to over-stretching; An episiotomy was needed to avoid a tear in the perineal tissue. Verb, to make a hole or a split in a tissue by pulling or stretching it too much He tore a ligament in his ankle. They carried out an operation to repair a torn ligament. (NOTE: tearing - tore - torn)

stretcher

noun, a folding bed, with handles, on which an injured person can be carried by two people; She was carried out of the restaurant on a stretcher. Some of the accident victims could walk to the ambulances, but there were several stretcher cases.

tampon

noun, 1. a wad of absorbent material put into a wound to soak up blood during an operation; 2. a cylindrical plug of soft material put into the vagina to absorb blood during menstruation

trauma

noun, 1. a wound or injury; 2. a very frightening or distressing experience which gives a person a severe emotional shock

treatment

noun, 1. actions taken to look after sick or injured people or to cure disease; He is receiving treatment for a slipped disc. 2. a particular way of looking after a sick or injured person or trying to cure a disease cortisone treatment; This is a new treatment for heart disease.

stool

noun, 1. an act of emptying the bowels; 2. a piece of solid waste matter which is passed out of the bowels an abnormal stool, loose stools, a stool test (NOTE: Often used in the plural.) verb, to pass a piece of solid matter out of the bowels

umbilical hernia

noun, a hernia which bulges at the navel, usually in young children. Also called exomphalos

varicella-zoster virus

noun, a herpes virus that causes chickenpox and shingles

vertebral foramen

noun, a hole in the centre of a vertebra which links with others to form the vertebral canal through which the spinal cord passes

sweat pore

noun, a hole in the skin through which the sweat comes out

thyroid hormone

noun, a hormone produced by the thyroid gland

thyroxine

noun, a hormone produced by the thyroid gland which regulates the body's metabolism and the conversion of food into heat, used in treatment of hypothyroidism

suprarenal cortical hormone

noun, a hormone secreted by the cortex of the adrenal glands, e.g. cortisone

thyrotrophin-releasing hormone

noun, a hormone secreted by the hypothalamus, which makes the pituitary gland release thyrotrophin, which in turn stimulates the thyroid gland. Abbr, TRH

thyroid-stimulating hormone

noun, a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland which stimulates the thyroid gland. Abbr, TSH. Also called thyrotrophin

triiodothyronine

noun, a hormone synthesised in the body from thyroxine secreted by the thyroid gland

teaching hospital

noun, a hospital attached to a medical school where student doctors work and study as part of their training

trauma centre

noun, a hospital or a department in a hospital that treats people who have complex, life-threatening injuries

temazepam

noun, a hypnotic drug used in the short-term treatment of insomnia

temporomandibular joint

noun, a joint between the jaw and the skull, in front of the ear

trochoid joint

noun, a joint where a bone can rotate freely about a central axis as in the neck, where the atlas articulates with the axis. Also called pivot joint

syndesmosis

noun, a joint where the bones are tightly linked by ligaments

sternocostal joint

noun, a joint where the breastbone joins a rib

styloid process

noun, a piece of bone which projects from the bottom of the temporal bone

tragus

noun, a piece of cartilage in the outer ear which projects forward over the entrance to the auditory canal

uvula

noun, a piece of soft tissue which hangs down from the back of the soft palate

urinary tract infection

noun, a bacterial infection of any part of the urinary system. Symptoms are usually a need to urinate frequently and pain on urination. Abbr; UTI

sycosis

noun, a bacterial infection of hair follicles

sulfonamide

noun, a bacteriostatic drug, e.g. trimethoprim, used to treat bacterial infection, especially in the intestine and urinary system, but now less important due to increasing bacterial resistance

triangular bandage

noun, a bandage made of a triangle of cloth, used to make a sling for the arm

tubular bandage

noun, a bandage made of a tube of elastic cloth

T bandage

noun, a bandage shaped like the letter T, used for bandaging the area between the legs

suspensory bandage

noun, a bandage to hold a part of the body which hangs

thiopental sodium

noun, a barbiturate drug used as a rapid-acting intravenous general anaesthetic. Also called thiopentone

waiting room

noun, a room at a doctor's or dentist's surgery where people wait; Please sit in the waiting room - the doctor will see you in ten minutes.

ward

noun, a room or set of rooms in a hospital, with beds for the patients; He is in Ward 8B. The children's ward is at the end of the corridor.

teat

noun, a rubber nipple on the end of a baby's feeding bottle

vitelline sac

noun, a sac attached to an embryo, where the blood cells first form

urinary bladder

noun, a sac where the urine collects after passing from the kidneys through the ureters, before being passed out of the body through the urethra.

submandibular gland /submaxillary gland

noun, a salivary gland on each side of the lower jaw

sublingual gland

noun, a salivary gland under the tongue

sulphate

noun, a salt of sulphuric acid

urate

noun, a salt of uric acid found in urine

sweat

noun, a salty liquid produced by the sweat glands to cool the body as the liquid evaporates from the skin; Sweat was running off the end of his nose. Her hands were covered with sweat. Also called perspiration; verb, to produce moisture through the sweat glands and onto the skin; After working in the fields she was sweating.

toxicologist

noun, a scientist who specialises in the study of poisons

superinfection

noun, a second infection which affects the treatment of the first infection, because it is resistant to the drug used to treat the first

ulnar pulse

noun, a secondary pulse in the wrist, taken near the inner edge of the forearm

ward sister

noun, a senior nurse in charge of a ward

trigeminal ganglion

noun, a sensory ganglion containing the cells of origin of the sensory fibres in the fifth cranial nerve. Also called Gasserian ganglion

thermoreceptor

noun, a sensory nerve which registers heat

teleceptor

noun, a sensory receptor which receives sensations from a distance. These occur in the eyes, ears and nose. Also called telereceptor

toxic shock syndrome

noun, a serious condition caused by a staphylococcus infection of the skin or soft tissue. Its symptoms include vomiting, high fever, faintness, muscle aches, a rash and confusion. Abbr, TSS

sunstroke

noun, a serious condition caused by excessive exposure to the sun or to hot conditions, in which the person becomes dizzy and has a high body temperature but does not perspire

ventricular fibrillation

noun, a serious heart condition where the ventricular muscles flutter and the heart no longer beats. Abbr VF

Stevens-Johnson syndrome

noun, a severe form of erythema multiforme affecting the face and genitals, caused by an allergic reaction to drugs [Described 1922. After Albert Mason Stevens (1884-1945); Frank Chambliss Johnson (1894-1934), physicians in New York, USA.]

syringomyelocele

noun, a severe form of spina bifida where the spinal cord pushes through a hole in the spine

surgical boot

noun, a specially made boot for a person who has an unusually shaped foot, to support or correct it

surgical shoe

noun, a specially made boot for a person who has an unusually shaped foot, to support or correct it

stutter

noun, a speech problem where someone repeats the sound at the beginning of a word several times He is taking therapy to try to cure his stutter. Verb, to speak with a stutter

succussion

noun, a splashing sound made when there is a large amount of liquid inside a cavity in the body, e.g. the stomach

trichrome stain

noun, a stain in three colours used in histology

uterogestation

noun, a standard pregnancy, where the fetus develops in the uterus

stupor

noun, a state of being semiconscious; After the party several people were found lying on the floor in a stupor.

water balance

noun, a state where the water lost by the body, e.g. in urine or sweat, is made up by water absorbed from food and drink

unmedicated dressing

noun, a sterile dressing with no antiseptic or other medication on it

styptic pencil

noun, a stick of alum, used to stop bleeding from small cuts

support stocking

noun, a stocking worn to prevent postural hypotension and peripheral oedema

ureterolith

noun, a stone in a ureter

urolith

noun, a stone in the urinary system

tendon

noun, a strip of connective tissue which attaches a muscle to a bone. Also called sinew (NOTE: For other terms referring to a tendon, see words beginning with teno-.)

sulphuric acid

noun, a strong colourless oily corrosive acid which has many uses

urge

noun, a strong need to do something

thyroid extract

noun, a substance extracted from thyroid glands of animals and used to treat hypothyroidism

tannin / tannic acid

noun, a substance found in the bark of trees and in tea and other liquids, which stains brown

transferrin

noun, a substance found in the blood, which carries iron in the bloodstream. Also called siderophilin

surfactant

noun, a substance in the alveoli of the lungs which keeps the surfaces of the lungs wet and prevents lung collapse

undecenoic acid /undecylenic acid

noun, a substance made from castor bean oil, used in the treatment of fungal infections such as thrush

urea

noun, a substance produced in the liver from excess amino acids, and excreted by the kidneys into the urine

triglyceride

noun, a substance such as fat which contains three fatty acids

teratogen

noun, a substance which causes the usual development of an embryo or fetus to be disrupted, e.g. the German measles virus

vaccine

noun, a substance which contains antigens to a disease or a weak form of a disease, used to protect people against it

thrombin

noun, a substance which converts fibrinogen to fibrin and so coagulates blood

vasopressor

noun, a substance which increases blood pressure by narrowing the blood vessels

substrate

noun, a substance which is acted on by an enzyme '...insulin is a protein hormone and the body's major anabolic hormone, regulating the metabolism of all body fuels and substrates' [Nursing 87]

stercobilinogen

noun, a substance which is broken down from bilirubin and produces stercobilin

tuberculin

noun, a substance which is derived from the culture of the tuberculosis bacillus and is used to test people for the presence of tuberculosis

trace element

noun, a substance which is essential to the human body, but only in very small quantities; COMMENT: The trace elements are cobalt, chromium, copper, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and zinc.

waste product

noun, a substance which is not needed in the body and is excreted in urine or faeces

taeniacide

noun, a substance which kills tapeworms

vermicide

noun, a substance which kills worms in the intestine

stimulant

noun, a substance which makes part of the body function faster Caffeine is a stimulant. adjective, increasing body function; COMMENT: Natural stimulants include some hormones, and drugs such as digitalis which encourage a weak heart. Drinks such as tea and coffee contain stimulants.

sternutatory

noun, a substance which makes someone sneeze

taeniafuge

noun, a substance which makes tapeworms leave the body

vesicant

noun, a substance which makes the skin blister. Also called epispastic

vermifuge

noun, a substance which removes worms from the intestine

styptic

noun, a substance which stops bleeding; adjective, used to stop bleeding

tracer

noun, a substance, often a radioactive one, injected into a substance in the body, so that doctors can follow its passage round the body

tantrum

noun, a sudden episode of bad behaviour, usually in a child, where the child throws things or lies on the floor and screams

thyrotoxic crisis

noun, a sudden illness caused by hyperthyroidism

twinge

noun, a sudden sharp pain; He sometimes has a twinge in his right shoulder.

sucrose

noun, a sugar, formed of glucose and fructose, found in plants, especially in sugar cane, beet and maple syrup

stent

noun, a support of artificial material often inserted in a tube or vessel which has been sutured

thrombo-embolic deterrent stocking

noun, a support stocking to prevent thrombus formation following surgery. Abbr, TED

trephine

noun, a surgical instrument for making a round hole in the skull or for removing a round piece of tissue

vacuum extractor

noun, a surgical instrument formed of a rubber suction cup which is used in vacuum extraction during childbirth

trocar

noun, a surgical instrument or pointed rod which slides inside a cannula to make a hole in tissue to drain off fluid

tenaculum

noun, a surgical instrument shaped like a hook, used to pick up small pieces of tissue during an operation

tonsillotome

noun, a surgical instrument used in cutting into or removing the tonsils

stethoscope

noun, a surgical instrument with two earpieces connected to a tube and a metal disc, used by doctors to listen to sounds made inside the body, e.g. the sounds of the heart or lungs

type B behaviour

noun, a behaviour pattern which is unlikely to contribute to coronary heart disease, in which an individual is patient, tolerant, not very competitive and lives at a more relaxed pace. Compare type A behavior

type A behaviour

noun, a behaviour pattern which may contribute to coronary heart disease, in which an individual is aggressive and over-competitive, and usually lives at a stressful pace. Compare type B behaviour

truss

noun, a belt worn round the waist, with pads, to hold a hernia in place

syringocystadenoma /syringoma

noun, a benign tumour in sweat glands and ducts

sternomastoid tumour

noun, a benign tumour which appears in the sternomastoid muscle in newborn babies

timolol

noun, a beta-blocker used in the treatment of migraine, high blood pressure and glaucoma

urinary obstruction

noun, a blockage of the urethra, which prevents urine being passed

Wassermann reaction / Wassermann test

noun, a blood serum test to see if someone has syphilis. Abbr WR [Described 1906. After August Paul von Wassermann (1866-1925), German bacteriologist.]

thoracoscope

noun, a surgical instrument, like a tube with a light at the end, used to examine the inside of the chest

urethroscope

noun, a surgical instrument, used to examine the interior of a man's urethra

thyrotomy

noun, a surgical opening made in the thyroid cartilage or the thyroid gland

surgical procedure

noun, a surgical operation

stricturoplasty

noun, a surgical operation in which a part of the intestine is widened

transuretero-ureterostomy

noun, a surgical operation in which both ureters are brought to the same side in the abdomen, because one is damaged or obstructed

support worker

noun, someone who assists registered health service professionals as part of a team, e.g. as a nursing auxiliary or assistant, or in specialist areas such as mental health, speech therapy or physiotherapy

vaso-epididymostomy

noun, a surgical operation to reverse a vasectomy in which the cut end of the vas deferens is joined to a tubule within the epididymis above a blockage in it

tenorrhaphy

noun, a surgical operation to stitch pieces of a torn tendon together

vasoligation

noun, a surgical operation to tie the vasa deferentia to prevent infection entering the epididymis from the urinary system

tubal ligation

noun, a surgical operation to tie up the Fallopian tubes as a sterilisation procedure

ureteroneocystostomy

noun, a surgical operation to transplant a ureter to a different location in the bladder

Waterston's operation

noun, a surgical operation to treat Fallot's tetralogy, in which the right pulmonary artery is joined to the ascending aorta [After David James Waterston (1910-85), paediatric surgeon in London, UK]

trabeculectomy

noun, a surgical operation to treat glaucoma by cutting a channel through trabeculae to link with Schlemm's canal

ventrosuspension

noun, a surgical operation to treat retroversion of the uterus

ventrofixation

noun, a surgical operation to treat retroversion of the uterus by attaching the uterus to the wall of the abdomen

trephination

noun, a surgical operation which consists of removing a small part of the skull with a trephine in order to perform surgery on the brain

thyroplasty

noun, a surgical procedure performed on the cartilages of the larynx to improve the quality of the voice

stereotaxy / stereotaxic surgery

noun, a surgical procedure to identify a point in the interior of the brain, before an operation can begin, to locate exactly the area to be operated on

urocele

noun, a swelling in the scrotum which contains urine

syringomyelitis

noun, a swelling of the spinal cord, which results in the formation of cavities in it

varix

noun, a swollen blood vessel, especially a swollen vein in the leg (NOTE: The plural is varices.)

tuber

noun, a swollen or raised area

Trendelenburg's sign

noun, a symptom of congenital dislocation of the hip, where the person's pelvis is lower on the opposite side to the dislocation

thioridazine

noun, a synthetic compound used as a tranquilliser for people who are suffering from a psychosis

verapamil

noun, a synthetic compound which helps to prevent the movement of calcium ions across membranes. It is used in the treatment of angina pectoris, hypertension and irregular heartbeat.

triamcinolone

noun, a synthetic corticosteroid drug used in the treatment of skin, mouth and joint inflammations

thalidomide

noun, a synthetic drug given to pregnant women for morning sickness in the 1960s which caused babies to be born with stunted limbs. It is now used in the treatment of leprosy.

trimethoprim

noun, a synthetic drug used in the treatment of malaria

task allocation

noun, a system in which patient care is divided into tasks which are given to different nurses with specific skills

team nursing

noun, a system in which the care of a group of patients is assigned to a team of four or five health workers, led by a professional nurse who assigns them various tasks. They meet at the beginning and end of each shift to exchange information.

urinary system

noun, a system of organs and ducts which separate waste liquids from the blood and excrete them as urine, including the kidneys, bladder, ureters and urethra

venous system

noun, a system of veins which brings blood back to the heart from the tissues

tutor

noun, a teacher, a person who teaches small groups of students

toxic goitre

noun, a type of goitre due to hyperthyroidism in which the limbs tremble and the eyes protrude

viral pneumonia

noun, a type of inflammation of the lungs caused by a virus. Also called virus pneumonia

tertian fever

noun, a type of malaria where the fever returns every two days. quartan fever

subtertian fever

noun, a type of malaria, where the fever is present most of the time

tapotement

noun, a type of massage where the therapist taps the person with his or her hands

transcendental meditation

noun, a type of meditation in which the same words or sounds are repeated silently

varioloid

noun, a type of mild smallpox which affects people who have already had smallpox or have been vaccinated against it

striated muscle

noun, a type of muscle found in skeletal muscles whose movements are controlled by the central nervous system. Also called striped muscle

Venturi nebuliser

noun, a type of nebuliser which is used in aerosol therapy

tantalum mesh

noun, a type of net made of tantalum wire, used to repair cranial conditions

teleradiography

noun, a type of radiography where the source of the Xrays is at a distance from the person being Xrayed

teleradiotherapy

noun, a type of radiotherapy, where the person being treated is some way away from the source of radiation

volsella

noun, a type of surgical forceps with claw-like hooks at the end of each arm. Also called vulsella

uncinate epilepsy

noun, a type of temporal lobe epilepsy, in which the person has hallucinations of smell and taste

Watson knife

noun, a type of very sharp surgical knife for skin transplants

therm

noun, a unit of heat equal to 100,000 British thermal units or 1.055 x 108 joules

TAB vaccine

noun, a vaccine which immunises against typhoid fever and paratyphoid A and B

triple vaccine

noun, a vaccine which induces protection against three diseases e.g. diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough

superficial vein

noun, a vein which is near the surface of the skin

varicose vein

noun, a vein, usually in the legs, which becomes twisted and swollen

vermix

noun, a vermiform appendix

trace

noun, a very small amount ; There are traces of the drug in the blood sample. The doctor found traces of alcohol in the patient's urine. Verb, to find someone or something that you are looking for

thready pulse

noun, a very weak pulse which is hard to detect

vocal fremitus

noun, a vibration of the chest when a person speaks or coughs

thrill

noun, a vibration which can be felt with the hands

superior aspect

noun, a view of the body from above

viraemia

noun, a virus in the blood (NOTE: The US spelling is viremia.)

triple marker test

noun, a blood test performed on pregnant women which can detect Down's syndrome in a fetus by analysing the relative levels of substances produced by the mother's placenta and the fetus itself

synovial joint

noun, a joint where the two bones are separated by a space filled with synovial fluid which nourishes and lubricates the surfaces of the bones. Also called diarthrosis

synchondrosis

noun, a joint, as in children, where the bones are linked by cartilage, before the cartilage has changed to bone

synarthrosis

noun, a joint, e.g. in the skull, where the bones have fused together

ureteric calculus

noun, a kidney stone in the ureter

vitamin deficiency

noun, a lack of necessary vitamins He is suffering from Vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy.

ultraviolet lamp

noun, a lamp which gives off ultraviolet rays

tropical ulcer

noun, a large area of infection which forms around a wound, found especially in tropical countries. Also called Naga sore

thyroid cartilage

noun, a large cartilage in the larynx, part of which forms the Adam's apple.

tuberosity

noun, a large lump on a bone

thoracic outlet

noun, a large opening at the bottom of the thorax

utricle / utriculus

noun, a large sac inside the vestibule of the ear, which relates information about the upright position of the head to the brain

tunable dye laser

noun, a laser which coagulates fine blood vessels, used to blanch port wine stains

uvea

noun, a layer of organs in the eye beneath the sclera, formed of the iris, the ciliary body and the choroid. Also called uveal tract

ventriculography

noun, a method of taking X-ray pictures of the ventricles of the brain after air has been introduced to replace the cerebrospinal fluid

vacuum suction

noun, a method used to achieve an abortion, after dilatation of the cervix. Also called aspiration

stigma

noun, a visible symptom which shows that someone has a particular disease; (NOTE: The plural is stigmas or stigmata.)

Vitamin B2

noun, a vitamin found in eggs, liver, green vegetables, milk and yeast. Also called riboflavine

Vitamin K

noun, a vitamin found in green vegetables such as spinach and cabbage, and which helps the clotting of blood and is needed to activate prothrombin

Vitamin B12

noun, a vitamin found in liver and kidney, but not present in vegetables. Also called cyanocobalamin

Vitamin B6

noun, a vitamin found in meat, cereals and molasses. Also called pyridoxine

Vitamin E

noun, a vitamin found in vegetables, vegetable oils, eggs and wholemeal bread

Vitamin B1

noun, a vitamin found in yeast, liver, cereals and pork. Also called thiamine

Vitamin A

noun, a vitamin which is soluble in fat and can be formed in the body from precursors but is mainly found in food such as liver, vegetables, eggs and cod liver oil. Also called retinol; COMMENT: Lack of Vitamin A affects the body's growth and resistance to disease and can cause night blindness or xerophthalmia. Carotene (the yellow substance in carrots) is a precursor of Vitamin A, which accounts for the saying that eating carrots helps you to see in the dark.

Vitamin D

noun, a vitamin which is soluble in fat and is found in butter, eggs and fish. It is also produced by the skin when exposed to sunlight. It helps in the formation of bones, and lack of it causes rickets in children.

Vitamin C

noun, a vitamin which is soluble in water and is found in fresh fruit, especially oranges and lemons, raw vegetables and liver. Also called ascorbic acid

surgical ward

noun, a ward for patients who have undergone surgery

venereal wart

noun, a wart on the genitals or in the urogenital area

technique

noun, a way of doing scientific or medical work a new technique for treating osteoarthritis; She is trying out a new laboratory technique. '...few parts of the body are inaccessible to modern catheter techniques, which are all performed under local anaesthesia' [British Medical Journal] '...the technique used to treat aortic stenosis is similar to that for any cardiac catheterization' [Journal of the American Medical Association] '...cardiac resuscitation techniques used by over half the nurses in a recent study were described as 'completely ineffective'' [Nursing Times]

substitution therapy

noun, a way of treating a condition by using a different drug from the one used before

tincture of iodine

noun, a weak solution of iodine in alcohol, used as an antiseptic

stupe

noun, a wet medicated dressing used as a compress

trolley

noun, a wheeled table for transporting patients; The patient was placed on a trolley to be taken to the operating theatre.

tunica albuginea testis

noun, a white fibrous membrane covering the testes and the ovaries

ulnar artery

noun, an artery which branches from the brachial artery at the elbow and runs down the inside of the forearm to join the radial artery in the palm of the hand

ventriculo-peritoneal shunt

noun, an artificial drain used in hydrocephalus to drain cerebrospinal fluid from the ventricles

ureteroenterostomy

noun, an artificially formed passage between the ureter and the intestine

thermotaxis

noun, an automatic regulation of the body's temperature

tachyphylaxis

noun, an effect of a drug or neurotransmitter which becomes less with repeated doses

unipolar lead

noun, an electric lead to a single electrode

thymus / thymus gland

noun, an endocrine gland in the front part of the top of the thorax, behind the breastbone; COMMENT: The thymus gland produces lymphocytes and is responsible for developing the system of natural immunity in children. It grows less active as the person becomes an adult. Lymphocytes produced by the thymus are known as T-lymphocytes or T-cells.

thyroid / thyroid gland

noun, an endocrine gland in the neck, which is activated by the pituitary gland and secretes a hormone which regulates the body's metabolism; adjective, referring to the thyroid gland; COMMENT: The thyroid gland needs a supply of iodine in order to produce thyroxine. If the thyroid gland malfunctions, it can result in hyperthyroidism (producing too much thyroxine) leading to goitre, or in hypothyroidism (producing too little thyroxine). Hyperthyroidism can be treated with carbimazole.

trypsin

noun, an enzyme converted from trypsinogen by the duodenum and secreted into the digestive system where it absorbs protein

streptokinase

noun, an enzyme formed by streptococci which can break down blood clots and is therefore used in the treatment of myocardial infarction

streptodornase

noun, an enzyme formed by streptococci which can make pus liquid

urokinase

noun, an enzyme formed in the kidneys, which begins the process of breaking down blood clots

tyramine

noun, an enzyme found in cheese, beans, tinned fish, red wine and yeast extract, which can cause high blood pressure if found in excessive quantities in the brain. monoamine oxidase

sucrase

noun, an enzyme in the intestine which breaks down sucrose into glucose and fructose

transaminase

noun, an enzyme involved in the transamination of amino acids

trypsinogen

noun, an enzyme secreted by the pancreas into the duodenum

thrombokinase

noun, an enzyme which converts prothrombin into thrombin, so starting the sequence for coagulation of blood. Also called thromboplastin

urease

noun, an enzyme which converts urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide

threonine

noun, an essential amino acid

tryptophan

noun, an essential amino acid

valine

noun, an essential amino acid

vitamin

noun, an essential substance not synthesised in the body, but found in most foods, and needed for good health

transillumination

noun, an examination of an organ by shining a bright light through it

ventriculoscopy

noun, an examination of the brain using an endoscope

urethroscopy

noun, an examination of the inside of a man's urethra with a urethroscope

thoracoscopy

noun, an examination of the inside of the chest, using a thoracoscope

ureteroscopy

noun, an examination of the ureter with a ureteroscope

watering eye

noun, an eye which fills with tears because of an irritation

wall eye / walleye

noun, an eye which is very pale or which is squinting so strongly that only the white sclera is visible

terminal illness

noun, an illness from which someone will soon die

stress-related illness

noun, an illness which is due in part or completely to stress

subcostal plane

noun, an imaginary horizontal line drawn across the front of the abdomen below the ribs

transtubercular plane

noun, an imaginary horizontal line drawn across the lower abdomen at the level of the projecting parts of the iliac bones. Also called intertubercular plane

topagnosis

noun, an inability to tell which part of your body has been touched, caused by a disorder of the brain

surgical wound

noun, an incision made during a surgical operation

tarsotomy

noun, an incision of the tarsus of the eyelid

thrombocytosis

noun, an increase in the number of platelets in someone's blood

superovulation

noun, an increased frequency of ovulation, or production of a large number of ova at one time. It is often caused by giving a woman with infertility problems gonadotrophin hormones to stimulate ovulation.

treponematosis

noun, an infection by the bacterium Treponema pertenue. yaws

viral infection

noun, an infection caused by a virus

upper respiratory infection

noun, an infection in the upper part of the respiratory system

sycosis barbae

noun, an infection of hair follicles on the sides of the face and chin. Also called barber's itch, barber's rash

vegetarian

noun, someone who does not eat meat, but eats mainly vegetables and fruit and sometimes dairy produce, eggs or fish; adjective, involving a diet without meat

tarsorrhaphy

noun, an operation to join the two eyelids together to protect the eye after an operation

ventriculoatriostomy

noun, an operation to relieve pressure caused by excessive quantities of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain ventricles

transvesical prostatectomy

noun, an operation to remove the prostate gland, carried out through the bladder

Trendelenburg's operation

noun, an operation to tie a saphenous vein in the groin before removing varicose veins [After Friedrich Trendelburg (1844-1924), German surgeon]

venesection

noun, an operation where a vein is cut so that blood can be removed, e.g. when taking blood from a donor

tunica adventitia

noun, an outer layer of the wall of an artery or vein. Also called adventitia

varicose ulcer

noun, an ulcer in the leg as a result of bad circulation and varicose veins

stomal ulcer

noun, an ulcer in the region of the jejunum

vesicovaginal fistula

noun, an unusual opening between the bladder and the vagina

teratogenesis

noun, an unusual pattern of development in an embryo and fetus

ultrasound marker

noun, an unusual physical characteristic seen in an ultrasound examination of a fetus which is an indication of the existence of a genetic or developmental disorder

tumour

noun, an unusual swelling or growth of new cells; The X-ray showed a tumour in the breast. a brain tumour. (NOTE: For other terms referring to tumours, see words beginning with onco-. The US spelling is tumor.)

sulfur

noun, another spelling of sulphur

twenty-four hour flu

noun, any minor illness similar to flu which lasts for a short period (informal )

sulfonylurea

noun, any of a group of drugs which lower blood sugar, used in the treatment of diabetes

ulceromembranous gingivitis

noun, inflammation of the gums, which can also affect the mucous membrane in the mouth

thromboendarteritis

noun, inflammation of the inside of an artery, caused by thrombosis

stomatitis

noun, inflammation of the inside of the mouth

vesiculitis

noun, inflammation of the seminal vesicles

vasovesiculitis

noun, inflammation of the seminal vesicles and a vas deferens

synovitis

noun, inflammation of the synovial membrane

thyroiditis

noun, inflammation of the thyroid gland

tonsillitis

noun, inflammation of the tonsils

tracheitis

noun, inflammation of the trachea due to an infection

ureteropyelonephritis

noun, inflammation of the ureter and the pelvis of the kidney to which it is attached

uveoparotid fever /uveoparotid syndrome

noun, inflammation of the uvea and of the parotid gland

uvulitis

noun, inflammation of the uvula

vulvovaginitis

noun, inflammation of the vulva and vagina wad /wɒd/ noun a pad of material used to put on a wound The nurse put a wad of absorbent cotton over the sore.

vulvitis

noun, inflammation of the vulva, causing intense irritation

tympanosclerosis

noun, irreversible damage to the tympanic membrane and middle ear, starting with the replacement of tissues or fibrin by collagen and hyalin. Then calcification occurs, leading to deafness.

succus entericus

noun, juice formed of enzymes, produced in the intestine to help the digestive process

succus

noun, juice secreted by an organ

vegan

noun, someone who does not eat meat, dairy produce, eggs or fish and eats only vegetables and fruit; adjective, involving a diet of only vegetables and fruit

thyrotrophin

noun, same as thyroid-stimulating hormone (NOTE: The US term is thyrotropin.)

tonicity

noun, same as tone

tonus

noun, same as tone

trunk

noun, same as torso

visceral larva migrans

noun, same as toxocariasis

tic douloureux tic

noun, same as trigeminal neuralgia

ultrasound probe

noun, same as ultrasonic probe

urinary duct

noun, same as ureter

urinary catheter

noun, same as urethral catheter

urethrostenosis

noun, same as urethral stricture

urine retention

noun, same as urinary retention

uveal tract

noun, same as uvea

valvulotomy

noun, same as valvotomy

venipuncture

noun, same as venepuncture

vesicouretic reflux

noun, same as vesicoureteric reflux

virus pneumonia

noun, same as viral pneumonia

vitreous body

noun, same as vitreous humour

vulsella / vulsellum

noun, same as volsella

vomitus

noun, same as vomit

talcum powder

noun, scented talc

ulcerative colitis

noun, severe pain in the colon, with diarrhea and ulcers in the rectum, often with a psychosomatic cause

ultraviolet radiation/ ultraviolet rays

noun, short invisible rays of ultraviolet light. Abbr, UVR

tremor

noun, slight involuntary movements of a limb or muscle

telangiectasis / telangiectasia

noun, small dark red spots on the skin, formed by swollen capillaries

twitching

noun, small movements of the muscles in the face or hands

therapeutic radiographer

noun, someone specially trained to use X-rays or radioactive isotopes in the treatment of patients

stimulus

noun, something which has an effect on a person or a part of the body and makes them react (NOTE: The plural is stimuli.)

tricuspid

noun, something which has three cusps, e.g. a tooth or leaf; adjective, 1. having three cusps or points; 2. referring to a tricuspid valve or tooth

supply

noun, something which is provided; The arteries provide a continuous supply of oxygenated blood to the tissues. The hospital service needs a constant supply of blood for transfusion. The government sent medical supplies to the disaster area. Verb, to provide or give something which is needed; A balanced diet will supply the body with all the vitamins and trace elements it needs. The brachial artery supplies the arm and hand.

swimmer's cramp

noun, spasms in arteries and muscles caused by cold water, or by swimming soon after a meal

tetany

noun, spasms of the muscles in the feet and hands, caused by a reduction in the level of calcium in the blood or by lack of carbon dioxide

tummy

noun, stomach or abdomen (informal )

tummy ache

noun, stomach pain (informal )

torso

noun, the main part of the body, not including the arms, legs and head. Also called trunk

substance abuse / substance misuse

noun, the misuse or excessive use of drugs, alcohol or other substances for pleasure or to satisfy addiction, which often causes health, emotional or social problems for the user

tubal pregnancy

noun, the most common form of ectopic pregnancy, in which the fetus develops in a Fallopian tube instead of the uterus

transmigration

noun, the movement of a cell through a membrane

translocation

noun, the movement of part of a chromosome to another part of the same chromosome or to a different chromosome pair, leading to genetic disorders

surgical neck

noun, the narrow part at the top of the humerus, where the arm can easily be broken

waist

noun, the narrow part of the body below the chest and above the buttocks

stricture

noun, the narrowing of a passage in the body

stenostomia / stenostomy

noun, the narrowing of an opening

taenia coli

noun, the outer band of muscle running along the large intestine

subconscious

noun, the part of a person's mental processes which he or she is not aware of most of the time, but which can affect his or her actions; adjective, present in the mind although a person is not aware of it

transverse process

noun, the part of a vertebra which protrudes at the side

ST segment / S-T segment

noun, the part of an electrocardiogram, between the points labelled S and T, immediately before the last phase of the cardiac cycle. PQRST complex

upper arm

noun, the part of the arm from the shoulder to the elbow

vestibular nerve

noun, the part of the auditory nerve which carries information about balance to the brain

tuber cinereum

noun, the part of the brain to which the stalk of the pituitary gland is connected

visual area

noun, the part of the cerebral cortex which is concerned with sight

visual cortex

noun, the part of the cerebral cortex which receives information about sight

supraglottis

noun, the part of the larynx above the vocal folds, including the epiglottis

tympanic bone

noun, the part of the temporal bone that supports and partly surrounds the auditory canal

subcortex

noun, the parts of the brain immediately beneath the cerebral cortex

urination

noun, the passing of urine out of the body. Also called micturition

urochesia

noun, the passing of urine through the rectum, due to injury of the urinary system (NOTE: The US spelling is urochezia.)

waiting time

noun, the period between the time when someone's name has been put on the waiting list and his or her admission into hospital

teething

noun, the period when a baby's milk teeth are starting to erupt, and the baby is irritable He is awake at night because he is teething. She has teething trouble and won't eat.

sting

noun, the piercing of the skin by an insect which passes a toxic substance into the bloodstream; verb, (of an insect) to make a hole in the skin and pass a toxic substance into the blood He was stung by a wasp. COMMENT: Stings by some insects such as tsetse flies can transmit a bacterial infection to a person. Other insects such as bees pass toxic substances into the bloodstream of the affected person, causing irritating swellings. Some people are strongly allergic to insect stings.

urochrome

noun, the pigment which colours the urine yellow

vision centre

noun, the point in the brain where the nerves relating to the eye come together

symphysis

noun, the point where two bones are joined by cartilage which makes the joint rigid

transverse lie

noun, the position of a fetus across the body of the mother

vocal folds adducted

noun, the position of the vocal cords for speaking

sunbathing

noun, the practice of lying in the sun to absorb sunlight

uraturia

noun, the presence of excessive amounts of urates in the urine, e.g. in gout

toxaemia

noun, the presence of poisonous substances in the blood. Blood poisoning (NOTE: The US spelling is toxemia.)

ultrasonotomography

noun, the procedure of making images using ultrasound of organs which are placed at different depths inside the body

ultrasonography

noun, the procedure of passing ultrasound waves through the body and recording echoes which show details of internal organs. Also called echography

vacuum extraction

noun, the procedure of pulling on the head of the baby with a suction instrument to aid birth

taxis

noun, the procedure of pushing or massaging dislocated bones or hernias to make them return to their usual position

thermocautery

noun, the procedure of removing dead tissue by heat

thermocoagulation

noun, the procedure of removing tissue and coagulating blood by heat

venoclysis

noun, the procedure of slowly introducing a saline or other solution into a vein

transfusion

noun, the procedure of transferring blood or saline fluids from a container into a someone's bloodstream

version

noun, the procedure of turning a fetus in a uterus so as to put it in a better position for birth

transamination

noun, the process by which amino acids are metabolized in the liver

thrombopoiesis

noun, the process by which blood platelets are formed

tubular reabsorption

noun, the process by which some of the substances filtered into the kidney are absorbed back into the bloodstream by the tubules

tympanic membrane

noun, the membrane at the inner end of the external auditory meatus leading from the outer ear, which vibrates with sound and passes the vibrations on to the ossicles in the middle ear. Also called tympanum, eardrum.

tunica media

noun, the middle layer of the wall of an artery or vein. Also called media

Valsalva's manoeuvre

noun, the process of breathing out while holding the nostrils closed and keeping the mouth shut, used in order to test the functioning of the Eustachian tubes or to adjust the pressure in the middle ear

training

noun, the process of educating by giving instruction and the opportunity to practise

ultrafiltration

noun, the process of filtering the blood to remove tiny particles, e.g. when the blood is filtered by the kidney

tube feeding

noun, the process of giving someone nutrients through a tube directly into their stomach or small intestine

tissue typing

noun, the process of identifying various elements in tissue from a donor and comparing them to those of the recipient to see if a transplant is likely to be rejected

titration

noun, the process of measuring the strength of a solution

transudation

noun, the process of passing a fluid from the body's cells through the pores of a membrane

stethography

noun, the process of recording movements of the chest

tocography

noun, the process of recording the contractions of the uterus during childbirth

voluntary admission

noun, the process of taking someone into a psychiatric hospital with the person's consent

toilet training

noun, the process of teaching a small child to pass urine or faeces in a toilet, so that he or she no longer requires nappies

teleradiology

noun, the process of transmitting scans and other images electronically so that they can be viewed by surgeons or other health care workers in different locations at the same time

telemedicine

noun, the provision of diagnosis and health care from a distance using media such as interactive computer programs or off-site advisers

therapeutic index

noun, the ratio of the dose of a drug which causes cell damage to the dose of that drug which is typically needed to effect a cure, by which the safety of the drug is decided

symmetry

noun, the regularity of structure and distribution of parts of the body, each side of the body being structurally similar to the other

vasodilatation /vasodilation

noun, the relaxation of blood vessels, especially the arteries, making them wider and leading to increased blood flow or reduced blood pressure

syneresis

noun, the releasing of fluid as in a blood clot when it becomes harder

submucous resection

noun, the removal of a bent cartilage from the septum in the nose. Abbr, SMR

stereotypy

noun, the repetition of the same action or word again and again

total hip arthroplasty / total hip replacement

noun, the replacement of both the head of the femur and the acetabulum with an artificial joint

supraorbital ridge

noun, the ridge of bone above the eye, covered by the eyebrow

sternal angle

noun, the ridge of bone where the manubrium articulates with the body of the sternum

tomography

noun, the scanning of a particular part of the body using X-rays or ultrasound

toxicology

noun, the scientific study of poisons and their effects on the human body

urology

noun, the scientific study of the urinary system and its diseases

venereology

noun, the scientific study of venereal diseases

virology

noun, the scientific study of viruses

transverse colon

noun, the second section of the colon which crosses the body below the stomach.

tubular secretion

noun, the secretion of some substances into the urine by the tubules of the kidney

tympanic cavity

noun, the section of the ear between the eardrum and the inner ear, containing the three ossicles. Also called middle ear, tympanum

vitreous detachment

noun, the separation of the vitreous humour from the retina, often due to natural ageing when the vitreous humour thins, but also occurring in other conditions such as diabetes

vertebral column

noun, the series of bones and discs linked together to form a flexible column running from the base of the skull to the pelvis. Also called backbone, spinal column.

vascular system

noun, the series of vessels such as veins, arteries and capillaries, carrying blood around the body

uniform

noun, the set of official clothes worn by a group of people such as the nurses in a hospital to identify them; adjective, the same or similar Healthy red blood cells are of a uniform shape and size.

wall

noun, the side part of an organ or a passage in the body; An ulcer formed in the wall of the duodenum. The doctor made an incision in the abdominal wall. They removed a fibroma from the wall of the uterus or from the uterine wall.

tone

noun, the slightly tense state of a healthy muscle when it is not fully relaxed. Also called tonicity, tonus

voice

noun, the sound made when a person speaks or sings to lose one's voice not to be able to speak because of a throat infection his voice has broken his voice has become deeper and adult, with the onset of puberty

suffusion

noun, the spreading of a red flush over the skin

viscosity

noun, the state of a liquid which moves slowly

unconsciousness

noun, the state of being unconscious, e.g. as a result of lack of oxygen or from some other external cause such as a blow on the head

trichology

noun, the study of hair and the diseases which affect it

thanatology

noun, the study of the medical, psychological and sociological aspects of death and the ways in which people deal with it

teratology

noun, the study of the unhealthy development of embryos and fetuses

ultrasonics

noun, the study of ultrasound and its use in medical treatments

therapeutics

noun, the study of various types of treatment and their effect on patients

sudden infant death syndrome

noun, the sudden death of a baby under the age of about twelve months in bed, without any identifiable cause. Abbr, SIDS. Also called cot death

urostomy

noun, the surgical creation of an artificial urethra

ureterolithotomy

noun, the surgical removal of a stone from the ureter

ureterectomy

noun, the surgical removal of a ureter

subtotal gastrectomy

noun, the surgical removal of all but the top part of the stomach in contact with the diaphragm

subtotal pancreatectomy

noun, the surgical removal of most of the pancreas

subtotal hysterectomy

noun, the surgical removal of the uterus, but not the cervix

uvulectomy

noun, the surgical removal of the uvula

total pancreatectomy

noun, the surgical removal of the whole pancreas together with part of the duodenum. Also called Whipple's operation

total hysterectomy

noun, the surgical removal of the whole uterus

triage

noun, the system in which a doctor or nurse sees patients briefly in order to decide who should be treated first

talus

noun, the top bone in the tarsus which articulates with the tibia and fibula in the leg, and with the calcaneus in the heel. Also called anklebone. (NOTE: The plural is tali.)

ultrasound treatment

noun, the treatment of soft tissue inflammation using ultrasound waves

tweezers

plural noun, an instrument shaped like small scissors, with ends which pinch and do not cut, used to pull out or pick up small objects

volatile oils

plural noun, concentrated oils from plants used in cosmetics and as antiseptics

vestibular folds

plural noun, folds in the larynx above the vocal folds, which are not used for speech. Also called false vocal cords

third-degree haemorrhoids

plural noun, haemorrhoids which protrude into the anus permanently

vibrissae

plural noun, hairs in the nostrils or ears

vallate

plural noun, large papillae which form a line towards the back of the tongue and contain taste buds

vital signs

plural noun, measurements of pulse, breathing and temperature

superficial fascia

plural noun, membranous layers of connective tissue found just under the skin

uniovular twins

plural noun, same as identical twins

ultrasonic waves

plural noun, same as ultrasound

waterworks

plural noun, same as urinary system (informal )

ventricular folds

plural noun, same as vocal cords

trifocal lenses / trifocal glasses /trifocals

plural noun, spectacles which have three lenses combined in one piece of glass to give clear vision over different distances. bifocal

varifocals

plural noun, spectacles with lenses which have varying focal lengths from top to bottom, for looking at things at different distances from the wearer

support hose

plural noun, stockings that fit tightly to the legs, worn to help the flow of blood

tertiary bronchi

plural noun, syphilis. Same as segmental bronchi

urodynamics

plural noun, the active changes which occur during the function of the bladder, urethral sphincter and pelvic floor muscles

true vocal cords

plural noun, the cords in the larynx which can be brought together to make sounds as air passes between them

vestibular glands

plural noun, the glands at the point where the vagina and vulva join, which secrete a lubricating substance

vasa efferentia

plural noun, the group of small tubes which sperm travel down from the testis to the epididymis

viscera

plural noun, the internal organs, e.g. the heart, lungs, stomach and intestines

striae gravidarum

plural noun, the lines on the skin of the abdomen of a pregnant woman or of a woman who has recently given birth

vital organs

plural noun, the most important organs in the body, without which a human being cannot live, e.g. the heart, lungs and brain

suboccipital

adjective, beneath the back of the head

subcranial

adjective, beneath the dome of the skull

suborbital

adjective, beneath the eye socket

thoracentesis

noun, same as thoracocentesis

thromboplastin

noun, same as thrombokinase

thyroid gland

noun, same as thyroid

urino-

prefix, referring to urine

vene-

prefix, referring to veins

veno-

prefix, referring to veins

sterno-

prefix, relating to the breastbone

uveal

adjective, referring to the uvea

uvular

adjective, referring to the uvula

vaginal

adjective, referring to the vagina

thoraco-

prefix, relating to the thorax

tracheo-

prefix, relating to the trachea

viscero-

prefix, relating to the viscera

stomat-

prefix, same as stomato- (used before vowels)

syring-

prefix, same as syringo- (used before vowels)

tars-

prefix, same as tarso- (used before vowels)

tel-

prefix, same as tele- (used before vowels)

thalam-

prefix, same as thalamo- (used before vowels)

thorac-

prefix, same as thoraco- (used before vowels)

tox-

prefix, same as toxo- (used before vowels)

trache-

prefix, same as tracheo- (NOTE: used before vowels)

urin-

prefix, same as urino- (used before vowels)

uter-

prefix, same as utero- (used before vowels)

vas-

prefix, same as vasovasa

trans-

prefix, through or across

sub-

prefix, underneath or below

undulant fever

same as brucellosis

uterosalpingography

same as hysterosalpingography

unguis

same as nail

unigravida

same as primigravida

unipara

same as primipara

tetraplegia

same as quadriplegia

Thiersch graft / Thiersch's graft

same as split-skin graft

synovium

same as synovial membrane; '70% of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers develop the condition in the metacarpophalangeal joints. The synovium produces an excess of synovial fluid which is abnormal and becomes thickened' [Nursing Times]

ureterosigmoidostomy

same as ureterocolostomy

turcica

sella turcica

-uria

suffix, 1. a condition of the urine; 2. a disease characterised by a condition of the urine

-tome

suffix, 1. a cutting instrument; 2. a segment a dermatome

-trophy

suffix, 1. nourishment 2. referring to the development of an organ

-tropic

suffix, 1. turning towards 2. referring to something which influences

-taxis

suffix, manipulation

-stomy

suffix, meaning an operation to make an opening

-thymia

suffix, referring to a state of mind

-tomy

suffix, referring to a surgical operation

-thrix

suffix, relating to a hair

-tidine

suffix, used for antihistamine drugs

-terol

suffix, used in names of bronchodilators

T

symbol, tera-

trots

the trots an attack of diarrhea (informal )

tugging

tracheal tugging

Teflon

trademark a synthetic polymer injected into the joints of the larynx to increase movement and help hoarseness of voice

tan

verb, (of skin) to become brown in sunlight He tans easily. She is using a tanning lotion.

throb

verb, 1. (of the heart) to beat harder and faster than usual, especially from exertion or fear; 2. (of a painful part of the body) to experience pain which comes and goes regularly; Once the local anaesthetic wore off his thumb began to throb.

tolerate

verb, 1. not to be affected by the unpleasant effects of something, especially not to experience bad effects from being exposed to something harmful; 2. not to react to a drug through having developed a resistance to it

thicken

verb, 1. to become wider or larger, or cause something to become wider or larger; The walls of the arteries thicken under deposits of fat. 2. (of liquid ) to become more dense and viscid and flow less easily; The liquid thickens as its cools.

vary

verb, 1. to change; The dosage varies according to the age of the patient. 2. to try different actions; The patient was recommended to vary her diet.

teach

verb, 1. to give lessons in something; Professor Smith teaches neurosurgery. 2. to show someone how to do something; She was taught first aid by her mother. (NOTE: teaching - taught)

suffer

verb, 1. to have an illness for a long period of time; I suffer from headaches. 2. to feel pain; I didn't suffer much. 3. to receive an injury; He suffered multiple injuries in the accident.

wake

verb, 1. to interrupt someone's sleep; The nurse woke the patient. or The patient was woken by the nurse. 2. to stop sleeping; The patient had to be woken to have his injection. (NOTE: waking - woke - woken)

sustain

verb, 1. to keep, to support, to maintain something; These bones can sustain quite heavy weights. He is not eating enough to sustain life. 2. to experience an injury; He sustained a severe head injury.

sterilise / sterilize

verb, 1. to make something completely free from microorganisms which might cause infection; 2. to make someone unable to have children

subdural

adjective, between the dura mater and the arachnoid

uriniferous

adjective, carrying urine

streptococcal

adjective, caused by a streptococcus

viral

adjective, caused by a virus, or referring to a virus

toxigenic

adjective, caused or produced by a toxin. Also called toxicogenic

thromboplastic

adjective, causing or increasing the formation of blood clots

stertorous

adjective, characterized by heavy snoring

steroidal

adjective, containing steroids. Opposite non-steroidal

visceromotor

adjective, controlling the movement of viscera

ulcerated

adjective, covered with ulcers

torpid

adjective, describing a part of the body that has lost the ability to move or feel

subthreshold

adjective, describing a stimulus that is not strong enough to have an effect

systaltic

adjective, describing an organ such as the heart that contracts and relaxes alternately

ulcerating

adjective, developing into an ulcer

voluntary

adjective, done because one wishes to do it

vicarious

adjective, done by one organ or agent in place of another

suggestible

adjective, easily influenced by other people

vestigial

adjective, existing in a rudimentary form; The coccyx is a vestigial tail.

usual

adjective, expected or typical

supernumerary

adjective, extra, more than the usual number '...allocation of supernumerary students to clinical areas is for their educational needs and not for service requirements' [Nursing Times]

tired

adjective, feeling a need to rest

tired out

adjective, feeling extremely tired; She is tired out after the physiotherapy.

transsexual

adjective, feeling uncomfortable with the birth gender; noun, a person, especially a man, who feels uncomfortable with their birth gender

successive

adjective, following one after the other; She had a miscarriage with each successive pregnancy.

therapeutic

adjective, given in order to cure a disorder or disease

suspensory

adjective, hanging down

sudden

adjective, happening quickly

vasoactive

adjective, having an effect on the blood vessels, especially constricting the arteries

visually impaired

adjective, having difficulty in seeing because of an eye condition

undernourished

adjective, having too little food

syndactyl

adjective, having two or more fingers or toes joined together when born

vibrate

verb, to move rapidly and continuously

transfer

verb, to pass from one place to another, or cause someone or something to pass from one place to another; The hospital records have been transferred to the computer. The patient was transferred to a special burns unit.

transmit

verb, to pass something such as a message or a disease; Impulses are transmitted along the neural pathways. The disease is transmitted by lice.

urinate

verb, to pass urine from the body

suck

verb, to pull liquid or air into the mouth or into a tube

stretch

verb, to pull something out, or make something longer

suppress

verb, to reduce the action of something completely, e.g. to remove a symptom or to stop the release of a hormone a course of treatment which suppresses the painful irritation The drug suppresses the body's natural instinct to reject the transplanted tissue. The release of adrenaline from the adrenal cortex is suppressed.

undress

verb, to remove clothes

unblock

verb, to remove something which is blocking; An operation to unblock an artery.

suffuse

verb, to spread over or through something

trigger

verb, to start something happening; It is not known what triggers the development of shingles.

wait

verb, to stay somewhere until something happens or someone arrives; He has been waiting for his operation for six months. There are ten patients waiting to see Dr Smith.

wake up

verb, to stop sleeping, or stop someone sleeping; The old man woke up in the middle of the night and started calling for the nurse.

strap

verb, to strap (up) to wrap a bandage round a limb tightly, to attach tightly; The nurses strapped up his stomach wound. The patient was strapped to the stretcher.

warn

verb, to tell someone that a danger is possible; The children were warned about the dangers of solvent abuse. The doctors warned her that her husband would not live more than a few weeks.

vaporise / vaporize

verb, to turn a liquid into a vapour

supinate

verb, to turn the hand so that the palm faces upwards

treat

verb, to use medical methods to cure a disease or help a sick or injured person to recover; She has been treated with a new antibiotic. She's being treated by a specialist for heart disease.

viscus

viscera

thermal anaesthesia

noun, the loss of the feeling of heat

tactile anaesthesia

noun, the loss of the sensation of touch

subglottis

noun, the lowest part of the laryngeal cavity, below the vocal folds

trachea

noun, the main air passage which runs from the larynx to the lungs, where it divides into the two main bronchi. It is about 10 cm long, and is formed of rings of cartilage and connective tissue. See illustration at LUNGS in Supplement. Also called windpipe

truncus

noun, the main blood vessel in a fetus, which develops into the aorta and pulmonary artery

vasomotor

adjective, referring to the control of the diameter of blood vessels

tympanic

adjective, referring to the eardrum

superciliary

adjective, referring to the eyebrows

ungual

adjective, referring to the fingernails or toenails

visceral

adjective, referring to the internal organs

umbilical

adjective, referring to the navel

volar

adjective, referring to the palm of the hand or sole of the foot

vulvectomy

noun, a surgical operation to remove the vulva

stripping

noun, a surgical operation to remove varicose veins

tenoplasty

noun, a surgical operation to repair a torn tendon

urethrorrhaphy

noun, a surgical operation to repair a torn urethra

ureteroplasty

noun, a surgical operation to repair a ureter

urethroplasty

noun, a surgical operation to repair a urethra

trachelorrhaphy

noun, a surgical operation to repair tears in the cervix of the uterus

vasovasostomy

noun, a surgical operation to reverse a vasectomy

theory

noun, an argument which explains a scientific fact

upper limb

noun, an arm; There was damage to the upper limbs only.

typhlitis

noun, inflammation of the caecum (large intestine)

ulitis

noun, inflammation of the gums

thrombus

noun, same as blood clot

sulfa drug / sulfa compound

noun, same as sulfonamide

sulfate

noun, same as sulphate

surgical stocking

noun, same as surgical hose

synergy

noun, same as synergism

synovia

noun, same as synovial fluid

telereceptor

noun, same as teleceptor

tendonitis

noun, same as tendinitis

testicle

noun, same as testis

vermillion border

noun, the external red parts of the lips

total recall

noun, the fact of being able to remember something in complete detail

superiority

noun, the fact of being better than something or someone else

vasovagal

adjective, referring to the vagus nerve and its effect on the heartbeat and blood circulation

urethrocele

noun, 1. a swelling formed in a weak part of the wall of the urethra; 2. prolapse of the urethra in a woman

stilet

noun, 1. a fine wire used as a probe in surgery; 2. a wire inserted in a catheter to give it rigidity

tympanum

noun, 1. same as tympanic membrane; 2. same as tympanic cavity

tabes

noun, a condition in which someone is wasting away

uterocele

noun, a hernia of the uterus. Also called hysterocele

tincture

noun, a medicinal substance dissolved in alcohol

thenar

adjective, referring to the palm of the hand; noun, the palm of the hand. Compare hypothenar

tinea

noun, ringworm

sudor

noun, sweat

uretic

adjective, referring to the passing of urine

unguentum

noun, (in pharmacy) an ointment

Steri-Strips

a trademark for thin paper strips which are placed over an incision in the skin. They help its edges to come together and form a scar.

Universal Precautions

abbr, UP. Standard Precautions

UKCC

abbr, United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting

USP

abbr, United States Pharmacopeia. pharmacopoeia

STI

abbr, sexually transmitted infection

TED

abbr, thrombo-embolic deterrent stocking

TSH

abbr, thyroid-stimulating hormone

TRH

abbr, thyrotrophin-releasing hormone

tinct.

abbr, tincture

TPA

abbr, tissue plasminogen activator

TSS

abbr, toxic shock syndrome

TIA

abbr, transient ischaemic attack '...blood pressure control reduces the incidence of first stroke and aspirin appears to reduce the risk of stroke after TIAs by some 15%' [British Journal of Hospital Medicine]

TB

abbr, tuberculosis; He is suffering from TB. She has been admitted to a TB sanatorium.

TAB

abbr, typhoid-paratyphoid A and B; He was given a TAB injection. TAB injections give only temporary immunity against paratyphoid. TAB vaccine

vCJD

abbr, variant CJD

VD

abbr, venereal disease

VF

abbr, ventricular fibrillation in VF referring to someone whose heart is no longer able to beat

VSD

abbr, ventricular septal defect

WBC

abbr, white blood cell

symptomatic

adjective, being a symptom of something; The rash is symptomatic of measles.

Vitus

St Vitus's dance

subcostal

adjective, below the ribs

subcortical

adjective, beneath a cortex

subabdominal

adjective, beneath the abdomen

subarachnoid

adjective, beneath the arachnoid membrane

Ventimask

a trademark for a type of oxygen mask

Sterets

a trademark for a type of swab used for cleaning the skin before an injection

subaxillary

adjective, beneath the armpit

Tagamet

a trade name for a preparation of cimetidine

Valium

a trade name for diazepam

Vibramycin

a trade name for doxycycline

Ventolin

a trade name for salbutamol

Viagra

a trade name for sildenafil citrate

TCP

a trade name for various mild antiseptic liquids

TENS

abbreviation, a method of treating pain by applying electrodes to the skin. Small electric currents are passed through sensory nerves and the spinal cord. This suppresses the transmission of pain signals. a TENS unit or machine Full form transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

TBI

abbreviation, total body irradiation

superior

adjective, (of part of the body) higher up than another part

tense

adjective, 1. (of a muscle) contracted; 2. nervous and worried; The patient was very tense while she waited for the report from the laboratory.

total

adjective, 1. Complete; He has total paralysis of the lower part of the body. 2. throughout the whole body

varicose

adjective, 1. affected with or having varicose veins; 2. designed for the treatment of varicose veins; 3. relating to or producing swelling

subcartilaginous

adjective, 1. beneath cartilage or a body part composed of cartilage, 2. made partly of cartilage

traumatic

adjective, 1. caused by an injury; 2. extremely frightening, distressing or shocking

tubercular

adjective, 1. causing or referring to tuberculosis; 2. referring to someone who has tuberculosis; 3. with small lumps, though not always due to tuberculosis

sympathetic

adjective, 1. feeling or showing shared feelings, pity or compassion; 2. relating to or belonging to the sympathetic nervous system, or to one of its parts

turbinate

adjective, 1. having a shape like a spiral or an inverted cone; 2. referring to any of the three bones found on the walls of the nasal passages of mammals

vitreous

adjective, 1. having the characteristics of glass; 2. relating to the vitreous humour of the eye

teratogenic

adjective, 1. having the tendency to produce physical disorders in an embryo or fetus; 2. relating to the production of physical disorders in an embryo or fetus

supine

adjective, 1. lying on the back. Opposite prone; 2. with the palm of the hand facing upwards '...the patient was to remain in the supine position, therefore a pad was placed under the Achilles tendon to raise the legs' [NATNews]

stercoraceous

adjective, 1. made of or containing faeces; 2. similar to faeces

thin

adjective, 1. not fat; His arms are very thin. She's getting too thin - she should eat more. He became quite thin after his illness. 2. not thick; They cut a thin slice of tissue for examination under the microscope. 3. referring to blood which is watery (NOTE: thinner - thinnest)

unhealthy

adjective, 1. not in good physical condition; 2. not helping someone to be healthy The children have a very unhealthy diet.

ulcerous

adjective, 1. referring to an ulcer; 2. like an ulcer

vegetative

adjective, 1. referring to growth of tissue or organs; 2. referring to a state after brain damage, where a person is alive and breathing but shows no responses

surgical

adjective, 1. referring to surgery; All surgical instruments must be sterilised. 2. referring to a disease which can be treated by surgery; We manage to carry out six surgical operations in an hour.

ventral

adjective, 1. referring to the abdomen; 2. referring to the front of the body. Opposite dorsal

virulent

adjective, 1. referring to the ability of a microorganism to cause a disease an unusually virulent strain of the virus; 2. referring to a disease which develops rapidly and has strong effects

terminal

adjective, 1. referring to the last stage of a fatal illness; The disease is in its terminal stages. 2. referring to the end, being at the end of something He is suffering from terminal cancer. noun, an ending, a part at the end of an electrode or nerve

venereal

adjective, 1. relating to sex acts or sexual desire; 2. relating to the genitals; 3. referring to an infection or disease which is transmitted through sexual intercourse venereal warts

tubular

adjective, 1. shaped like a tube; 2. referring to a tubule

sterile

adjective, 1. with no harmful microorganisms present a sterile environment; 2. not able to produce children

transparent

adjective, able to be seen through The cornea is a transparent tissue on the front of the eye.

visible

adjective, able to be seen; There were no visible symptoms of the disease.

tactile

adjective, able to be sensed by touch

sticky

adjective, able to become easily attached like glue

sterilising

adjective, able to kill microorganisms Wipe the surface with sterilizing fluid.

suprarenal

adjective, above the kidneys; noun, same as suprarenal gland

supraorbital

adjective, above the orbit of the eye

suprapubic

adjective, above the pubic bone or pubic area

suprasternal

adjective, above the sternum

transvaginal

adjective, across or through the vagina

transverse

adjective, across, at right angles to an organ

unilateral

adjective, affecting one side of the body only

translucent

adjective, allowing light to pass through, but not enough to allow objects on the other side to be clearly distinguished

upper

adjective, at the top, higher

tonic

adjective, referring to a muscle which is contracted; noun, a substance which improves the someone's general health or which makes a tired person more energetic; He is taking a course of iron tonic tablets. She asked the doctor to prescribe a tonic for her anaemia.

unipolar

adjective, referring to a neurone with a single process. Compare bipolar.

stuffy / stuffed up

adjective, referring to a nose which is blocked with inflamed mucous membrane and mucus (informal )

thready

adjective, referring to a pulse which is very weak and can hardly be felt

trochlear

adjective, referring to a ring in a bone

stinging

adjective, referring to a sharp unpleasant feeling of pricking or burning a sudden stinging sensation in the back of her leg

vesiculopapular

adjective, referring to a skin disorder which has both blisters and papules

vesiculopustular

adjective, referring to a skin disorder which has both blisters and pustules

trigonocephalic

adjective, referring to a skull which shows signs of trigonocephaly

topical

adjective, referring to a specific area of the external surface of the body suitable for topical application; '...one of the most common routes of neonatal poisoning is percutaneous absorption following topical administration' [Southern Medical Journal]

stomal

adjective, referring to a stoma

sustentacular

adjective, referring to a sustentaculum

synaptic

adjective, referring to a synapse

tendinous

adjective, referring to a tendon

tubal

adjective, referring to a tube

tumoral /tumorous

adjective, referring to a tumour

valvular

adjective, referring to a valve

vesicular

adjective, referring to a vesicle

vestibular

adjective, referring to a vestibule, especially the vestibule of the inner ear

venomous

adjective, referring to an animal which has poison in its bite; The cobra is a venomous snake. He was bitten by a venomous spider.

tracheo-oesophogeal

adjective, referring to both the trachea and the oesophagus

strenuous

adjective, referring to exercise which involves using a lot of force ; Avoid doing any strenuous exercise for some time while the wound heals.

undigested

adjective, referring to food which is not digested in the body

thermal

adjective, referring to heat

syngeneic

adjective, referring to individuals or tissues that have an identical or closely similar genetic make-up, especially one that will allow the transplanting of tissue without provoking an immune response

waste

adjective, referring to material or matter which is useless; The veins take blood containing waste carbon dioxide back into the lungs. Waste matter is excreted in the faeces or urine. verb, to use more of something than is needed; The hospital kitchens try not to waste a lot of food.

systemic

adjective, referring to or affecting the whole body; Septicaemia is a systemic infection.

throbbing

adjective, referring to pain which comes again and again like a heart beat; She has a throbbing pain in her finger. He has a throbbing headache.

strangulated

adjective, referring to part of the body which is caught in an opening in such a way that the circulation of blood is stopped

stereotactic

adjective, referring to procedures which use coordinates put into a computer or scanner in order to locate and operate upon tumours precisely. Examples are biopsies, surgery or radiation therapy.

thyrotoxic

adjective, referring to severe hyperthyroidism

visual

adjective, referring to sight or vision

sunburnt

adjective, referring to skin made brown or red by exposure to sunlight

tender

adjective, referring to skin or a body part which is painful when touched; The bruise is still tender. Her shoulders are still tender where she got sunburnt. A tender spot on the abdomen indicates that an organ is inflamed.

unqualified

adjective, referring to someone who has no qualifications or no licence to practise

suicidal

adjective, referring to someone who wants to kill himself; He has suicidal tendencies.

ultramicroscopic

adjective, referring to something so small that it cannot be seen using a standard microscope

unstable

adjective, referring to something which may change easily an unstable mental condition.

tetanic

adjective, referring to tetanus

tubotympanal

adjective, referring to the Eustachian tube and the tympanum

vesical

adjective, referring to the bladder

vesicovaginal

adjective, referring to the bladder and the vagina

sternal

adjective, referring to the breastbone

sternomastoid

adjective, referring to the breastbone and the mastoid

thoracic

adjective, referring to the chest or thorax

venous

adjective, referring to the veins; '...venous air embolism is a potentially fatal complication of percutaneous venous catheterization' [Southern Medical Journal] '...a pad was placed under the Achilles tendon to raise the legs, thus aiding venous return and preventing deep vein thrombosis' [NATNews]

ventricular

adjective, referring to the ventricles

vertebral

adjective, referring to the vertebrae

vocal

adjective, referring to the voice

thrombocytopenic

adjective, referring to thrombocytopenia

topographical

adjective, referring to topography

tuberculous

adjective, referring to tuberculosis

ulcerative

adjective, referring to ulcers, or characterised by ulcers

ultrasonic

adjective, referring to ultrasound

uraemic

adjective, referring to uraemia, or having uraemia (NOTE: The US spelling is uremic.)

urinary

adjective, referring to urine

urological

adjective, referring to urology

trophic

adjective, relating to food and nutrition

sternohyoid

adjective, relating to the sternum and the hyoid bone

temporomandibular

adjective, relating to the temporal bone and the mandible

vesicouretic

adjective, relating to the urinary bladder and the ureters

subjective

adjective, representing the views or feelings of the person concerned and not impartial; The psychiatrist gave a subjective opinion on the patient's problem. Compare objective

thrombolytic

adjective, same as fibrinolytic

univalent

adjective, same as monovalent

toxicogenic

adjective, same as toxigenic

ureteric

adjective, same as ureteral

urinogenital

adjective, same as urogenital

vara

adjective, same as varus

strict

adjective, severe, which must not be changed; She has to follow a strict diet. The doctor was strict with the patients who wanted to drink alcohol in the hospital.

uncinate

adjective, shaped like a hook

villous

adjective, shaped like a villus, or formed of villi

vermiform

adjective, shaped like a worm

typical

adjective, showing the usual symptoms of a condition; His gait was typical of a patient suffering from Parkinson's disease.

tenacious

adjective, sticking or clinging to something else, especially a surface

tumid

adjective, swollen

tumescent

adjective, swollen or showing signs of swelling, usually as a result of a build-up of blood or water within body tissues

turgid

adjective, swollen with blood

surrogate

adjective, taking the place of; noun, someone or something that takes the place of another person or thing surrogate mother; 1. a woman who has a child by artificial insemination for a woman who cannot become pregnant, with the intention of handing the child over to her when it is born; 2. a person who takes the place of a natural mother for someone

tertiary

adjective, third, coming after secondary and primary

translumbar

adjective, through the lumbar region

transplacental

adjective, through the placenta

transrectal

adjective, through the rectum

transurethral

adjective, through the urethra

subliminal

adjective, too slight to be noticed by the senses

stone-deaf

adjective, totally deaf

varus / varum / vara

adjective, turning inwards. coxa vara. Compare valgus

valgus / valgum / valga

adjective, turning outwards. Hallux valgus. Compare varus

tough

adjective, unable to break or tear easily; The meninges are covered by a layer of tough tissue, the dura mater.

submucous

adjective, under a mucous membrane

subungual

adjective, under a nail

submental

adjective, under the chin

subphrenic

adjective, under the diaphragm

submandibular

adjective, under the lower jaw

subcutaneous

adjective, under the skin. Abbr s.c.

sublingual

adjective, under the tongue '...the sublingual region has a rich blood supply derived from the carotid artery and indicates changes in central body temperature more rapidly than the rectum' [Nursing Times]

subclavian

adjective, underneath the clavicle

terminally ill

adjective, very ill and about to die She was admitted to a hospice for terminally ill patients or for the terminally ill.

tremens

delirium tremens

venosus

ductus venosus

vu

déjà vu

terminale

filum terminale

vitro

in vitro

vulgaris

lupus vulgaris

venereum

lymphogranuloma venereum

veneris

mons

volitantes

muscae volitantes

transference

noun (in psychiatry) a condition in which someone transfers to the psychoanalyst the characteristics belonging to a strong character from his or her past such as a parent, and reacts as if the analyst were that person

suture

noun, 1. a fixed joint where two bones are fused together, especially the bones in the skull; 2. a procedure for attaching the sides of an incision or wound with thread, so that healing can take place. Also called stitch; 3. a thread used for attaching the sides of a wound so that they can heal; verb, to attach the sides of a wound or incision together with thread so that healing can take place. Also called stitch; COMMENT: Wounds are usually stitched using thread or catgut which is removed after a week or so. Sutures are either absorbable, made of a substance which is eventually absorbed into the body, or non-absorbable, in which case they need to be removed after a certain time.

triangle

noun, 1. a flat shape which has three sides; 2. part of the body with three sides

term

noun, 1. a limited period of time, especially the period from conception to childbirth, or a point in time determined for an event she was coming near to term she was near the time when she would give birth; 2. Part of a college or school year; The anatomy exams are at the beginning of the third term. 3. a name or word for a particular thing

tube

noun, 1. a long hollow passage in the body; 2. a soft flexible pipe for carrying liquid or gas; 3. a soft plastic or metal pipe, sealed at one end and with a lid at the other, used to dispense a paste or gel

taenia

noun, 1. a long ribbon-like part of the body; 2. a large tapeworm of the genus Taenia; COMMENT: The various species of Taenia which affect humans are taken into the body from eating meat which has not been properly cooked. The most obvious symptom of tapeworm infestation is a sharply increased appetite, together with a loss of weight. The most common infestations are with Taenia solium, found in pork, where the larvae develop in the body and can form hydatid cysts, and Taenia saginata, the adult form of which grows to between four and eight metres long in the human intestine.

theatre gown

noun, 1. a loose piece of clothing worn by a person having an operation; 2. a long green robe worn over other clothes by a surgeon or nurse in an operating theatre

subject

noun, 1. a patient, a person who has a particular disease; The hospital has developed a new treatment for arthritic subjects. 2. something which is being studied or written about; The subject of the article is 'Rh-negative babies'.

transplant

noun, 1. a procedure which involves taking an organ such as the heart or kidney, or tissue such as skin, and grafting it into someone to replace an organ or tissue which is diseased or not functioning properly She had a heart-lung transplant. 2. the organ or tissue which is grafted; The kidney transplant was rejected. verb, to graft an organ or tissue onto or into someone to replace an organ or tissue which is diseased or not functioning correctly

tract

noun, 1. a series of organs or tubes which allow something to pass from one part of the body to another; 2. a series or bundle of nerve fibres connecting two areas of the nervous system and transmitting nervous impulses in one or in both directions; 'GI fistulae are frequently associated with infection because the effluent contains bowel organisms which initially contaminate the fistula tract' [Nursing Times]

visit

noun, 1. a short stay with someone, especially to comfort a patient; The patient is too weak to have any visits. He is allowed visits of ten minutes only. 2. a short stay with a professional person; They had a visit from the district nurse. She paid a visit to the chiropodist. On the patient's last visit to the physiotherapy unit, nurses noticed a great improvement in her walking. verb, to stay a short time with someone I am going to visit my brother in hospital. She was visited by the health visitor.

unit

noun, 1. a single part of a larger whole; 2. a part of a hospital that has a specialized function a burns unit; 3. a named and agreed standard amount used for measuring something; A gram is an SI unit of weight. 4. a quantity of a drug, enzyme, hormone or of blood, taken as a standard for measurement and producing a given effect three units of blood a unit of insulin; 5. a machine or device a waste-disposal unit; '...the blood loss caused his haemoglobin to drop dangerously low, necessitating two units of RBCs and one unit of fresh frozen plasma' [RN Magazine]

vesicle

noun, 1. a small blister on the skin, e.g. caused by eczema; 2. a sac which contains liquid

tubercle

noun, 1. a small bony projection, e.g. on a rib; 2. a small infected lump characteristic of tuberculosis, where tissue is destroyed and pus forms

tablet

noun, 1. a small flat round object containing medicine that is taken by swallowing a bottle of aspirin tablets ; Take two tablets three times a day. 2. any tablet, pill or capsule taken by swallowing (informal )

tuft

noun, 1. a small group of hairs; 2. a group of blood vessels. glomerular tuft

vapour

noun, 1. a substance in the form of a gas; 2. steam from a mixture of a liquid and a medicinal oil; (NOTE: The US spelling is vapor.)

tarsectomy

noun, 1. a surgical operation to remove one of the tarsal bones in the ankle; 2. a surgical operation to remove the tarsus of the eyelid

tap

noun, 1. a surgical procedure to drain off body fluid with a hollow needle or a tube; 2. a pipe with a closing valve and a handle which can be turned to make a liquid or gas come out of a container; verb; 1. to remove or drain liquid from part of the body. Spinal; 2. to hit someone or something lightly; The doctor tapped his chest with his finger.

visualisation / visualization

noun, 1. a technique in which an image of an internal organ or other part of the body is produced by using X-rays or other means such as magnetic resonance imaging; 2. a technique in which someone creates a strongly positive mental picture of something such as the way in which they would like to solve a problem, in order to help them cope with it

vessel

noun, 1. a tube in the body along which liquid flows, especially a blood vessel; 2. a container for fluids

trait

noun, 1. a typical characteristic of someone; 2. a genetically controlled characteristic

stylet

noun, 1. a very thin piece of wire which is put into a catheter or hollow needle so that it will not become blocked when it is not being used; 2. any long thin pointed instrument

suggestion

noun, 1. an idea which has been mentioned; The doctor didn't agree with the suggestion that the disease had been caught in the hospital. 2. (in psychiatry) the process of making a person's ideas change, by suggesting different ideas which the person can accept, such as that he or she is in fact cured

supplement

noun, 1. any extra nutrients that are taken to help a specific condition when someone is not getting all they need from their food vitamin and folic acid supplements 2. a pill or product regarded as helpful in improving health that can be bought without a prescription. Supplements are not tested in the same way as prescription drugs. dietary or food supplements; verb, to add on or increase above what is taken usually; She supplemented her diet with folic acid when she was planning a pregnancy.

stoma

noun, 1. any opening into a cavity in the body; 2. the mouth 3. a colostomy; (informal ) (NOTE: [all senses] The plural is stomata.)

vertigo

noun, 1. feelings of dizziness or giddiness caused by a malfunction of the sense of balance; 2. a fear of heights, as a result of a sensation of dizziness which is felt when high up, especially on a tall building; She won't sit near the window - she suffers from vertigo.

support

noun, 1. help to keep something in place; The bandage provides some support for the knee. He was so weak that he had to hold onto a chair for support. 2. a handle, a metal rail which a person can hold; There are supports at the side of the bed. The bath is provided with metal supports. Verb, 1. to hold something He wore a truss to support a hernia. 2. to keep something in place

stress

noun, 1. physical pressure on an object or part of the body; 2. a factor or combination of factors in a person's life which make him or her feel tired and anxious; 3. a condition in which an outside influence such as overwork or a mental or emotional state such as anxiety changes the working of the body and can affect the hormone balance

vaginalis

noun, 1. same as Trichomonas vaginalis; 2. same as tunica vaginalis

stone

noun, 1. same as calculus; (informal ) (NOTE: For other terms referring to stones, see words beginning with lith-, litho-, or ending with -lith.) 2. a measure of weight equal to 14 pounds or 6.35 kilograms; He tried to lose weight and lost three stone. She weighs eight stone ten (i.e. 8 stone 10 pounds).

von Recklinghausen's disease

noun, 1. same as neurofibromatosis; 2. same as osteitis fibrosis cystica [Described 1882. After Friedrich Daniel von Recklinghausen (1833-1910), Professor of Pathology at Strasbourg, France.]

stitch

noun, 1. same as suture; 2 He had three stitches in his head. The doctor told her to come back in ten days' time to have the stitches taken out. 3. pain caused by cramp in the side of the body after running ; He had to stop running because he developed a stitch. verb, same as suture; They tried to stitch back the finger which had been cut off in an accident.

virulence

noun, 1. the ability of a microorganism to cause a disease; 2. the degree of effect of a disease

transcription

noun, 1. the act of copying something written, or of putting something spoken into written form; 2. the first step in carrying out genetic instructions in living cells, in which the genetic code is transferred from DNA to molecules of messenger RNA, which then direct protein manufacture

transection

noun, 1. the act of cutting across part of the body; 2. a sample of tissue which has been taken by cutting across a part of the body

translation

noun, 1. the act of putting something written or spoken in one language into words of a different language; 2. the process by which information in messenger RNA controls the sequence of amino acids assembled by a ribosome during protein synthesis

tension

noun, 1. the act of stretching or the state of being stretched; 2. an emotional strain or stress

sterilisation / sterilization

noun, 1. the action of making instruments or areas completely free from microorganisms which might cause infection; 2. a procedure that makes someone unable to have children; COMMENT: Sterilisation of a woman can be done by removing the ovaries or cutting the Fallopian tubes. Sterilisation of a man is carried out by cutting the vas deferens (vasectomy).

tamponade

noun, 1. the action of putting a tampon into a wound; 2. Abnormal pressure on part of the body

system

noun, 1. the body as a whole; Amputation of a limb gives a serious shock to the system. 2. the arrangement of particular parts of the body so that they work together the lymphatic system

tetanus

noun, 1. the continuous contraction of a muscle, under repeated stimuli from a motor nerve; 2. an infection caused by Clostridium tetani in the soil, which affects the spinal cord and causes spasms in the muscles which occur first in the jaw. Also called lockjaw; COMMENT: People who are liable to infection with tetanus, such as farm workers, should be immunised against it, and booster injections are needed from time to time.

toxicity

noun, 1. the degree to which a substance is poisonous or harmful; 2. the amount of poisonous or harmful material in a substance

value

noun, 1. the degree to which something is useful or necessary; food with low nutritional value; 2. a number or amount that is unknown and is shown as a symbol; plural noun, values the views someone has about the appropriate way to behave respect for different cultural values

tea

noun, 1. the dried leaves of a plant used to make a hot drink; 2. a hot drink made by pouring boiling water onto the dried leaves of a plant

success

noun, 1. the fact of doing something well, doing what one was trying to do; They tried to isolate the virus but without success. 2. something which goes well; The operation was a complete success.

sympathy

noun, 1. the feeling or expression of pity or sorrow for the pain or distress of somebody else; 2. the relationship between people which causes one of them to provoke a similar condition to their own in the other one. For example, when the first person yawns, the second feels an urge to yawn too. 3. the influence produced on any part of the body by disease or change in another part

temperature

noun, 1. the heat of the body or of the surrounding air, measured in degrees; The doctor asked the nurse what the patient's temperature was. His temperature was slightly above normal. The thermometer showed a temperature of 99°F. to take a patient's temperature to insert a thermometer in someone's body to see what his or her body temperature is; They took his temperature every four hours. When her temperature was taken this morning, it was normal. 2. illness when your body is hotter than normal ; He's in bed with a temperature. Her mother says she's got a temperature, and can't come to work. COMMENT: The average body temperature is about 37° Celsius or 98° Fahrenheit. This temperature may vary during the day, and can rise if a person has taken a hot bath or had a hot drink. If the environmental temperature is high, the body has to sweat to reduce the heat gained from the air around it. If the outside temperature is low, the body shivers, because rapid movement of the muscles generates heat. A fever will cause the body temperature to rise sharply, to 40°C (103°F) or more. Hypothermia exists when the body temperature falls below about 35°C (95°F).

water

noun, 1. the liquid essential to life which makes up a large part of the body; Can I have a glass of water please? They suffered dehydration from lack of water. water on the knee fluid in the knee joint under the kneecap, caused by a blow on the knee; 2. urine (informal ) He passed a lot of water during the night. She noticed blood streaks in her water. The nurse asked him to give a sample of his water. plural noun, waters the fluid in the amnion in which a fetus floats (informal ) Also called amniotic fluid; verb, (of the eyes) to fill with tears or saliva (NOTE: For other terms referring to water, see words beginning with hydr-, hydro-.) COMMENT: Since the body is formed of about 50% water, the average adult needs to drink about 2.5 litres (5 pints) of fluid each day. Water taken into the body is passed out again as urine or sweat.

stomach

noun, 1. the part of the body shaped like a bag, into which food passes after being swallowed and where the process of digestion continues; She complained of pains in the stomach or of stomach pains. He has had stomach trouble for some time. 2. the abdomen (informal ); He had been kicked in the stomach. (NOTE: For other terms referring to the stomach, see words beginning with gastr-, gastro-.) COMMENT: The stomach is situated in the top of the abdomen, and on the left side of the body between the oesophagus and the duodenum. Food is partly broken down by hydrochloric acid and other gastric juices secreted by the walls of the stomach and is mixed and squeezed by the action of the muscles of the stomach, before being passed on into the duodenum. The stomach continues the digestive process started in the mouth, but few substances, except alcohol and honey, are actually absorbed into the bloodstream in the stomach.

threshold

noun, 1. the point at which something starts, e.g. where something can be perceived by the body or where a drug starts to have an effect; She has a low hearing threshold. 2. the point at which a sensation is strong enough to be sensed by the sensory nerves '...if intracranial pressure rises above the treatment threshold, it is imperative first to validate the reading and then to eliminate any factors exacerbating the rise in pressure' [British Journal of Hospital Medicine]

taxonomy

noun, 1. the practice or principles of classification generally; Any diagnostic task can be aided by a taxonomy of symptoms and a taxonomy of causes together with connections between them. 2. the science of classifying plants, animals and microorganisms into increasingly broader categories based on shared features. Traditionally, organisms were grouped by physical resemblances, but recently other criteria such as genetic matching have also been used.

synthesis

noun, 1. the process of combining different ideas or objects into a new whole; 2. a new unified whole resulting from the combination of different ideas or objects; 3. the formation of compounds through chemical reactions involving simpler compounds or elements; 4. in psychiatry, the fusing together of all the various elements of the personality; (NOTE: The plural is syntheses.)

vaginal douche

noun, 1. the process of washing out the vagina; 2. a device or liquid for washing out the vagina

tarsus

noun, 1. the seven small bones of the ankle. 2. a connective tissue which supports an eyelid (NOTE: The plural is tarsi.) COMMENT: The seven bones of the tarsus are: calcaneus, cuboid, the three cuneiforms, navicular and talus.

sterility

noun, 1. the state of being free from microorganisms; 2. the state of being unable to have children

throat

noun, 1. the top part of the tube which goes down from the mouth to the stomach; 2. the front part of the neck below the chin to clear the throat to give a little coug; COMMENT: The throat carries both food from the mouth and air from the nose and mouth. It divides into the oesophagus, which takes food to the stomach, and the trachea, which takes air into the lungs.

surgery

noun, 1. the treatment of diseases or disorders by procedures which require an operation to cut into, to remove or to manipulate tissue, organs or parts; The patient will need plastic surgery to remove the scars he received in the accident. The surgical ward is for patients waiting for surgery. Two of our patients had to have surgery. She will have to undergo surgery. 2. a room where a doctor or dentist sees and examines patients; There are ten patients waiting in the surgery. Surgery hours are from 8.30 in the morning to 6.00 at night.

torsion

noun, 1. the twisting of something, or a twisted state; 2. the stress placed on an object which has been twisted

transfer RNA

noun, RNA which attaches amino acids to protein chains being made at ribosomes

surgeon general

noun, US a government official responsible for all aspects of public health

tipped womb

noun, US same as retroverted uterus

urethrography

noun, X-ray examination of the urethra

suppressor T-cell

noun, a T-cell which stops or reduces the immune response to an antigen of B-cells and other Tcells

test-tube baby

noun, a baby conceived through in vitro fertilisation in which the mother's ova are removed from the ovaries, fertilised with a man's spermatozoa in a laboratory, and returned to the mother's uterus to continue developing in the usual way

wasting

noun, a condition in which a person or a limb loses weight and becomes thin

ventricle

noun, a cavity in an organ, especially in the heart or brain. COMMENT: There are two ventricles in the heart: the left ventricle takes oxygenated blood from the pulmonary vein through the left atrium, and pumps it into the aorta to circulate round the body; the right ventricle takes blood from the veins through the right atrium, and pumps it into the pulmonary artery to be passed to the lungs to be oxygenated. There are four ventricles in the brain, each containing cerebrospinal fluid. The two lateral ventricles in the cerebral hemispheres contain the choroid processes which produce cerebrospinal fluid. The third ventricle lies in the midline between the two thalami. The fourth ventricle is part of the central canal of the hindbrain.

vestibule

noun, a cavity in the body at the entrance to an organ, especially the first cavity in the inner ear or the space in the larynx above the vocal cords or a nostril.

variation

noun, a change from one level to another; There is a noticeable variation in his pulse rate. The chart shows the variations in the patient's temperature over a twenty-four hour period.

symptom

noun, a change in the way the body works or a change in the body's appearance, which shows that a disease or disorder is present and which the person is aware of; The symptoms of hay fever are a running nose and eyes. A doctor must study the symptoms before making his diagnosis. The patient presented all the symptoms of rheumatic fever. (NOTE: If a symptom is noticed only by the doctor, it is a sign.)

temperature chart

noun, a chart showing changes in a person's temperature over a period of time

uric acid

noun, a chemical compound which is formed from nitrogen in waste products from the body and which also forms crystals in the joints of people who have gout

substance

noun, a chemical material, e.g. a drug toxic substances released into the bloodstream He became addicted to certain substances.

vasoinhibitor

noun, a chemical substance that reduces or stops the activity of the nerves that control the widening or narrowing of the blood vessels

vasoconstrictor

noun, a chemical substance which makes blood vessels become narrower, so that blood pressure rises, e.g. ephedrine hydrochloride

vasodilator

noun, a chemical substance which makes blood vessels become wider, so that blood flows more easily and blood pressure falls, e.g. hydralazine hydrochloride 'Volatile anaesthetic agents are potent vasodilators and facilitate blood flow to the skin.' [British Journal of Nursing]

vaginal diaphragm

noun, a circular contraceptive device for women, which is inserted into the vagina and placed over the neck of the uterus before sexual intercourse

VD clinic

noun, a clinic specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of venereal diseases

stocking

noun, a close-fitting piece of clothing to cover the leg

thymol

noun, a colourless compound which is made synthetically or extracted from thyme oil, used as an antiseptic

warfarin

noun, a colourless crystalline compound used to help prevent the blood clotting

urobilinogen

noun, a colourless pigment formed when bilirubin is reduced to stercobilinogen in the intestines

vigour

noun, a combination of positive attributes expressed in rapid growth, large size, high fertility and long life in an organism (NOTE: The US spelling is vigor.)

theophylline

noun, a compound made synthetically or extracted from tea leaves which helps to widen blood vessels and airways, and to stimulate the central nervous system and heart. It is used in the treatment of breathing disorders.

vaginal proctocele

noun, a condition associated with prolapse of the uterus, where the rectum protrudes into the vagina

Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome

noun, a condition caused by blood poisoning with meningococci, in which the tissues of the adrenal glands die and haemorrhage [Described 1911 by Rupert Waterhouse (1873-1958), physician at Bath, UK; described 1918 by Carl Friderichsen (b. 1886), Danish physician]

waterbrash

noun, a condition caused by dyspepsia, in which there is a burning feeling in the stomach and the mouth suddenly fills with acid saliva

vibration white finger

noun, a condition caused by longterm use of a chain saw or pneumatic drill, which affects the circulation in the fingers

sticky eye

noun, a condition in babies in which the eyes remain closed because of conjunctivitis

thromboembolism

noun, a condition in which a blood clot forms in one part of the body and moves through the blood vessels to block another, usually smaller, part

trigger finger

noun, a condition in which a finger can bend but is difficult to straighten, probably because of a nodule on the flexor tendon

subluxation

noun, a condition in which a joint is partially dislocated

volvulus

noun, a condition in which a loop of intestine is twisted and blocked, so cutting off its blood supply

subinvolution

noun, a condition in which a part of the body does not go back to its former size and shape after having swollen or stretched, as in the case of the uterus after childbirth

stenosis

noun, a condition in which a passage becomes narrow

voyeurism

noun, a condition in which a person experiences sexual pleasure by watching others having intercourse

superiority complex

noun, a condition in which a person feels he or she is better and more important than others and pays little attention to them

trance

noun, a condition in which a person is in a dream, but not asleep, and seems not to be aware of what is happening round him or her a hypnotic trance

uterine procidentia / uterine prolapse

noun, a condition in which part of the uterus has passed through the vagina, usually after childbirth; COMMENT: Uterine procidentia has three stages of severity: in the first the cervix descends into the vagina, in the second the cervix is outside the vagina, but part of the uterus is still inside, and in the third stage, the whole uterus passes outside the vagina.

toddler's diarrhoea

noun, a condition in which recurrent loose stools are produced, often containing partially digested food. It usually occurs in children between the ages of one and three years.

syncope

noun, a condition in which someone becomes unconscious for a short time because of reduced flow of blood to the brain. Also called fainting fit

thermoanaesthesia

noun, a condition in which someone cannot tell the difference between hot and cold

urge incontinence

noun, a condition in which someone feels a very strong need to urinate and cannot retain their urine

tteenneensmsus tenesmus

noun, a condition in which someone feels the need to pass faeces, or sometimes urine, but is unable to do so and experiences pain

thrombocytopenia

noun, a condition in which someone has an unusually low number of platelets in the blood

trisomy

noun, a condition in which someone has three chromosomes instead of a pair

tinnitus

noun, a condition in which someone hears a ringing sound in the ears; COMMENT: Tinnitus can sound like bells, or buzzing, or a loud roaring sound. In some cases it is caused by wax blocking the auditory canal, but it is also associated with Ménière's disease, infections of the middle ear and acoustic nerve conditions.

thalamic syndrome

noun, a condition in which someone is extremely sensitive to pain, caused by a disorder of the thalamus

torpor

noun, a condition in which someone seems sleepy or slow to react

subnormality

noun, a condition in which someone's mind has not developed fully (NOTE: This term is regarded as offensive.)

tubal occlusion

noun, a condition in which the Fallopian tubes are blocked, either as a result of disease or surgery

thromboangiitis

noun, a condition in which the blood vessels swell and develop blood clots along their walls

symblepharon

noun, a condition in which the eyelid sticks to the eyeball

strabismus

noun, a condition in which the eyes focus on different points. Also called squint, heterotropia

synechia

noun, a condition in which the iris sticks to another part of the eye

trigonocephaly

noun, a condition in which the skull is in the shape of a triangle, with points on either side of the face in front of the ears

telangiectasia

noun, a condition in which the small blood vessels, especially in the face and thighs, are permanently dilated producing dark red blotches

urethral stricture

noun, a condition in which the urethra is narrowed or blocked by a growth. Also called urethrostenosis

uterine retroflexion

noun, a condition in which the uterus bends backwards away from its usual position

uterine subinvolution

noun, a condition in which the uterus does not go back to its previous size after childbirth

uterine retroversion

noun, a condition in which the uterus slopes backwards away from its usual position

synchysis

noun, a condition in which the vitreous humour in the eye becomes soft

tyrosinosis

noun, a condition in which there is irregular metabolism of tyrosine

superfecundation

noun, a condition in which two or more ova produced at the same time are fertilised by different males

symbiosis

noun, a condition in which two organisms exist together and help each other to survive

syndactyly / syndactylism

noun, a condition in which two toes or fingers are joined together with tissue

urataemia

noun, a condition in which urates are present in the blood, e.g. in gout

urecchysis

noun, a condition in which uric acid leaves the blood and enters connective tissue

strangury

noun, a condition in which very little urine is passed, although the person wants to urinate, caused by a bladder disorder or by a stone in the urethra

vitiligo

noun, a condition in which white patches appear on the skin. Also called leucoderma

stress incontinence

noun, a condition in women in which the muscles in the floor of the pelvis become incapable of retaining urine when the intra-abdominal pressure is raised by coughing or laughing

twilight state

noun, a condition of epileptics and alcoholics in which the person can do some automatic actions, but is not conscious of what he or she is doing; COMMENT: Twilight state is induced at childbirth, by introducing anaesthetics into the rectum.

sthenia

noun, a condition of great strength or vitality

twilight myopia

noun, a condition of the eyes, in which someone has difficulty in seeing in dim light

torticollis

noun, a condition of the neck, where the head is twisted to one side by contraction of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Also called wry neck

tension pneumothorax

noun, a condition of the pneumothorax in which rupture of the pleura forms an opening like a valve, through which air is forced during coughing but cannot escape

talipes

noun, a foot with a shape that does not allow usual walking, a congenital condition. Also called cleft foot, club foot; COMMENT: The most usual form of talipes (talipes equinovarus) is where the person walks on the toes because the foot is permanently bent forward. In other forms, the foot either turns towards the inside (talipes varus), towards the outside (talipes valgus) or upwards at the ankle (talipes calcaneus) so that the person cannot walk on the sole of the foot.

suction

noun, a force created by the action of sucking ; The dentist hooked a suction tube into the patient's mouth.

variant CJD

noun, a form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease which was observed first in the 1980s, especially affecting younger people. Abbr, vCJD

vascular dementia

noun, a form of mental degeneration due to disease of the blood vessels in the brain

tsutsugamushi disease

noun, a form of typhus caused by the Rickettsia bacteria, passed to humans by mites found in South East Asia. Also called scrub typhus

stress fracture

noun, a fracture of a bone caused by excessive force, as in some types of sport. Also called fatigue fracture

transverse fracture

noun, a fracture where the bone is broken straight across

tinea barbae

noun, a fungal infection in the beard

tinea cruris

noun, a fungal infection of the groin area, especially in hot climates

tinea capitis

noun, a fungal infection on the scalp

Trichophyton

noun, a fungus which affects the skin, hair and nails

submandibular ganglion

noun, a ganglion associated with the lingual nerve, relaying impulses to the submandibular and sublingual salivary glands

vertebral ganglion

noun, a ganglion in front of the origin of the vertebral artery

Vibrio

noun, a genus of Gram-negative bacteria which are found in water and cause cholera

Streptomyces

noun, a genus of bacteria used to produce antibiotics

Treponema

noun, a genus of bacteria which cause diseases such as syphilis or yaws

streptococcus

noun, a genus of bacteria which grows in long chains, and causes fevers such as scarlet fever, tonsillitis and rheumatic fever (NOTE: The plural is streptococci.)

sweat gland

noun, a gland which produces sweat, situated beneath the dermis and connected to the skin surface by a sweat duct

undine

noun, a glass container for a solution to bathe the eyes

struma

noun, a goitre

temperature graph

noun, a graph showing how a person's temperature rises and falls over a period of time

sulcus

noun, a groove or fold, especially between the gyri in the brain lateral sulcus and central sulcus two grooves which divide a cerebral hemisphere into lobes

tissue

noun, a group of cells that carries out a specific function (NOTE: For other terms referring to tissue, see words beginning with hist-, histo-.) COMMENT: Most of the body is made up of soft tissue, with the exception of the bones and cartilage. The main types of body tissue are connective, epithelial, muscular and nerve tissue.

vital centre

noun, a group of nerve cells in the brain which govern a particular function of the body such as the five senses

stretcher party

noun, a group of people who carry a stretcher and look after the person on it

team

noun, a group of people who work together; The heart-lung transplant was carried out by a team of surgeons.

thalamencephalon

noun, a group of structures in the brain linked to the brain stem, formed of the epithalamus, hypothalamus and thalamus

syndrome

noun, a group of symptoms and other changes in the body's functions which, when taken together, show that a particular disease is present. complex

Vitamin B complex

noun, a group of vitamins such as folic acid, riboflavine and thiamine

vegetation

noun, a growth on a membrane, e.g. on the cusps of valves in the heart

subdural haematoma

noun, a haematoma between the dura mater and the arachnoid which displaces the brain, caused by a blow on the head

stercolith

noun, a hard ball of dried faeces in the bowel

tartar

noun, a hard deposit of calcium which forms on teeth, and has to be removed by scaling. Also called scale

tension headache

noun, a headache all over the head, caused by worry and stress

temporal arteritis

noun, a headache caused by inflammation of the region over the temporal artery, usually occurring in older people

von Willebrand's disease

noun, a hereditary blood disease, occurring in both sexes, in which the mucous membrane starts to bleed without any apparent reason. It is caused by a deficiency of a clotting factor in the blood, called von Willebrand's factor. [Described 1926. After E. A. von Willebrand (1870-1949), Finnish physician.]

Treacher Collins syndrome

noun, a hereditary disorder in which the lower jaw, the cheek bones, and the ear are not fully developed

thalassaemia

noun, a hereditary disorder of which there are several forms caused by an anomalies in the protein component of the haemoglobin, leading to severe anaemia. It is found especially in people from Mediterranean countries, the Middle East and East Asia. Also called Cooley's anaemia

stratum

noun, a layer of tissue forming the epidermis (NOTE: The plural is strata.) COMMENT: The main layers of the epidermis are: the stratum germinativum or stratum basale: this layer produces the cells that are pushed up to form the other layers; the stratum granulosum, a layer with granular cells under the stratum lucidum, a thin clear layer of dead and dying cells, and the surface layer, or stratum corneum, a layer of dead keratinized cells which progressively fall off.

tunica

noun, a layer of tissue which covers an organ

UV-absorbing lens

noun, a lens devised to absorb UVR in order to protect the eyes against the sun

vocal ligament

noun, a ligament in the centre of the vocal cords

suspensory ligament

noun, a ligament which holds a part of the body in position.

succession

noun, a line of happenings, one after the other; She had a succession of miscarriages.

synaptic connection

noun, a link between the dendrites of one neurone with another neurone

vehicle

noun, a liquid in which a dose of a drug is put

suspension

noun, a liquid with solid particles in it

waiting list

noun, a list of people waiting for admission to hospital usually for treatment of non-urgent disorders; The length of waiting lists for non-emergency surgery varies enormously from one region to another. It is hoped that hospital waiting lists will get shorter.

sudamen

noun, a little blister caused by sweat (NOTE: The plural is sudamina.)

tape

noun, a long thin flat piece of material

stylus

noun, a long thin instrument used for applying antiseptics or ointments to the skin

strip

noun, a long thin piece of material or tissue; The nurse bandaged the wound with strips of gauze. He grafted a strip of skin over the burn. Verb, to take off something, especially clothes The patients had to strip for the medical examination. to strip to the waist to take off the clothes on the top part of the body

thermolysis

noun, a loss of body temperature, e.g. by sweating

Stokes-Adams syndrome

noun, a loss of consciousness due to the stopping of the action of the heart because of asystole or fibrillation [After William Stokes (1804-78), Irish physician; Robert Adams (1791-1875), Irish surgeon]

thymocyte

noun, a lymphocyte formed in the thymus gland

T-lymphocyte

noun, a lymphocyte formed in the thymus gland. Also called T-cell

ventilator

noun, a machine which pumps air into and out of the lungs of someone who has difficulty in breathing ; The newborn baby was put on a ventilator. Also called respirator

testosterone

noun, a male sex hormone, secreted by the Leydig cells in the testes, which causes physical changes, e.g. the development of body hair and a deep voice, to take place in males as they become sexually mature

stretch mark

noun, a mark on the skin of the abdomen of a pregnant woman or of a woman who has recently given birth. striae gravidarum

water bed

noun, a mattress made of a large heavy plastic bag filled with water, used to prevent bedsores

tonometry

noun, a measurement of pressure inside an organ, especially the eye

tonography

noun, a measurement of the pressure inside an eyeball

titre

noun, a measurement of the quantity of antibodies in a serum

syringe

noun, a medical instrument made of a tube with a plunger which either slides down inside the tube, forcing the contents out through a needle as in an injection, or slides up the tube, allowing a liquid to be sucked into it verb to wash out the ears using a syringe

visceral pleura

noun, a membrane attached to the surface of a lung.

tunica vaginalis

noun, a membrane covering the testes and epididymis

tectorial membrane

noun, a membrane in the inner ear which contains the hair cells which transmit impulses to the auditory nerve

suggestibility

noun, a mental state in which somebody just accepts other people's ideas, attitudes or instructions, without questioning them. It is usually increased under hypnosis.

tuning fork

noun, a metal fork which, if hit, gives out a perfect note, used in hearing tests such as Rinne's test

walking frame

noun, a metal frame used by people who have difficulty in walking. Zimmer frame

Thomas's splint /Thomas splint

noun, a metal splint used to keep a fractured leg still. It has a padded ring at the hip attached to rods to which bandages are bound and a bar under the foot at the lower end. [Described 1875. After Hugh Owen Thomas (1834-91), British surgeon and bonesetter.]

strontium

noun, a metallic element (NOTE: The chemical symbol is Sr.)

thallium scan

noun, a method of finding out about the blood supply to the heart muscle by scanning to see how the radioactive element thallium moves when injected into the bloodstream and where it attaches itself to the heart wall

ultrasound scanning /ultrasound screening

noun, a method of gathering information about the body by taking images using high-frequency sound waves

surgical fixation

noun, a method of immobilising something such as a bone either externally by the use of a splint or internally by a metal plate and screws

tomogram

noun, a picture of part of the body taken by tomography

synalgia

noun, a pain which is felt in one part of the body, but is caused by a condition in another part, e.g. pain in the groin which can be a symptom of a kidney stone or pain in the right shoulder which can indicate gall bladder infection. Also called referred pain

temporomandibular syndrome

noun, a painful condition affecting the temporomandibular joint and the muscles used for chewing, usually associated with a faulty meeting of the teeth in biting and sometimes causing clicking sounds

trichiasis

noun, a painful condition in which the eyelashes grow in towards the eye and scratch the eyeball

vaginismus

noun, a painful contraction of the vagina which prevents sexual intercourse

tenosynovitis

noun, a painful inflammation of the tendon sheath and the tendon inside. Also called peritendinitis

stria

noun, a pale line on skin which is stretched, as in obese people (NOTE: The plural is striae.)

virus

noun, a parasite consisting of a nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coat that can only develop in other cells. Viruses cause many diseases including the common cold, AIDS, herpes and polio. (NOTE: Antibiotics have no effect on viruses, but effective vaccines have been developed for some viral diseases.)

Trichomonas vaginalis

noun, a parasite which infests the vagina and causes an irritating discharge

trematode

noun, a parasitic flatworm

Strongyloides

noun, a parasitic worm which infests the intestines

tapeworm

noun, a parasitic worm with a small head and long body like a ribbon. Tapeworms enter the intestine when a person eats raw meat or fish. The worms attach themselves with hooks to the side of the intestine and grow longer by adding sections to their bodies.

sustentaculum

noun, a part of the body which supports another part

tentorium cerebelli

noun, a part of the dura mater which separates the cerebellum from the cerebral hemispheres

tachyphrasia / tachyphasia

noun, a particularly rapid way of speaking, as occurs with some people with mental disorders

vagina

noun, a passage in a woman's reproductive tract between the entrance to the uterus, the cervix, and the vulva, able to stretch enough to allow a baby to pass through during childbirth. (NOTE: For other terms referring to the vagina, see words beginning with colp-, colpo-.)

transdermal patch

noun, a patch containing medication applied to the skin and releasing its contents into the body over a period of time

tibial torsion

noun, a persistent slight twist in the tibia, caused by a cramped position in the uterus. It makes the feet of young children point inwards for up to a year after they begin to walk on their own, but it corrects itself as the leg grows.

therapist

noun, a person specially trained to give therapy an occupational therapist psychotherapist

suspect

noun, a person who doctors believe may have a disease, They are screening all typhoid suspects. Verb, to think that someone may have a disease; He is a suspected diphtheria carrier. Several cases of suspected meningitis have been reported. '...those affected are being nursed in five isolation wards and about forty suspected sufferers are being barrier nursed in other wards' [Nursing Times]

transvestite

noun, a person who dresses and behaves as a member of the opposite sex

sufferer

noun, a person who has a particular disease a drug to help asthma sufferers or sufferers from asthma

stroke patient

noun, a person who has had a stroke

stretcher bearer

noun, a person who helps to carry a stretcher

victim

noun, a person who is injured in an accident or who has caught a disease; The victims of the rail crash were taken to the local hospital. to fall victim to something to become a victim of or to experience bad effects from something Half the people eating at the restaurant fell victim to salmonella poisoning.

stretcher case

noun, a person who is so ill that he or she has to be carried on a stretcher

student

noun, a person who is studying at a college or university; All the medical students have to spend some time in the hospital.

student nurse

noun, a person who is studying to become a nurse

volunteer

noun, a person who offers to do something for free, without being paid; The hospital relies on volunteers to help with sports for disabled children. They are asking for volunteers to test the new cold cure. verb, to offer to do something for free; The research team volunteered to test the new drug on themselves.

supervisor

noun, a person who supervises the supervisor of hospital catering services

survivor

noun, a person who survives

visitor

noun, a person who visits ; Visitors are allowed into the hospital on Sunday afternoons. How many visitors did you have this week?

visually impaired person

noun, a person whose eyesight is not clear

universal recipient

noun, a person with blood group AB who can receive blood from all the other blood groups

universal donor

noun, a person with blood group O, whose blood may be given to anyone

systole

noun, a phase in the beating of the heart when it contracts as it pumps blood out. Opposite diastole the heart is in systole the heart is contracting and pumping

ultrasonogram

noun, a picture made with ultrasound for the purpose of medical examination or diagnosis

target

noun, a place which is to be hit by something target cell, target organ; 1. cell or organ which is affected by a drug, by a hormone or by a disease; 2. large red blood cell which shows a red spot in the middle when stained; '...the target cells for adult myeloid leukaemia are located in the bone marrow' [British Medical Journal]

transpyloric plane

noun, a plane at right angles to the sagittal plane, passing midway between the suprasternal notch and the symphysis pubis.

transverse plane

noun, a plane at right angles to the sagittal plane, running horizontally across the body.

symphysis menti

noun, a point in the front of the lower jaw where the two halves of the jaw are fused to form the chin

synapse

noun, a point in the nervous system where the axons of neurones are in contact with the dendrites of other neurons; verb, to link something with a neurone

venom

noun, a poison in the bite of a snake or insect; COMMENT: Depending on the source of the bite, venom can have a wide range of effects, from a sore spot after a bee sting, to death from a scorpion. Antivenene will counteract the effects of venom, but is only effective if the animal which gave the bite can be correctly identified.

strychnine

noun, a poisonous alkaloid drug, made from the seeds of a tropical tree, and formerly used in small doses as a tonic

toxin

noun, a poisonous substance produced in the body by microorganisms, and which, if injected into an animal, stimulates the production of antitoxins

Trendelenburg's position / Trendelenburg position

noun, a position in which someone lies on a sloping bed, with the head lower than the feet, and the knees bent. It is used in surgical operations to the pelvis and for people who have shock.

transverse presentation

noun, a position of the baby in the uterus, where the baby's side will appear first, usually requiring urgent manipulation or caesarean section to prevent complications

stoop

noun, a position where especially the top of your back is bent forward; He walks with a stoop. verb, to have a stoop; He is seventy-five and stoops.

threatened abortion

noun, a possible abortion in the early stages of pregnancy, indicated by bleeding

tacrolimus

noun, a powerful immunosuppressant drug used to reduce the risk of organ transplant rejection

traction

noun, a procedure that consists of using a pulling force to straighten a broken or deformed limb; The patient was in traction for two weeks. COMMENT: A system of weights and pulleys is fixed over the patient's bed so that the limb can be pulled hard enough to counteract the tendency of the muscles to contract and pull it back to its original position. Traction can also be used for slipped discs and other dislocations. Other forms of traction include frames attached to the body.

surgical diathermy

noun, a procedure which uses a knife or electrode which is heated by a strong electric current until it coagulates tissue

trial

noun, a process of testing something such as a drug or treatment to see how effective it is, especially before allowing it to be used generally clinical trials a six-month trial period; We're supplying it on a trial basis. Verb, to test something as part of a trial

umbo

noun, a projecting part in the middle of the outer side of the eardrum

uncus

noun, a projecting part of the cerebral hemisphere, shaped like a hook

von Willebrand's factor

noun, a protein substance in plasma involved in platelet aggregation

sublimation

noun, a psychological process in which violent emotions which would otherwise be expressed in antisocial behaviour are directed into actions which are socially acceptable

weak pulse

noun, a pulse which is not strong, which is not easy to feel

uracil

noun, a pyrimidine base, one of the four bases in RNA in which it pairs with thymine

technician

noun, a qualified person who does practical work in a laboratory or scientific institution He is a laboratory technician in a laboratory attached to a teaching hospital.

tachycardia

noun, a rapid beating of the heart

tritanopia

noun, a rare form of colour blindness, in which someone cannot see blue. Compare Daltonism, deuteranopia

subacute sclerosing panencephalitis

noun, a rare inflammatory disease of the brain, mostly affecting children. It is linked to having measles at a very young age, and is usually fatal.

tantalum

noun, a rare metal, used to repair damaged bones (NOTE: The chemical symbol is Ta.)

syphilide

noun, a rash or open sore which is a symptom of the second stage of syphilis

visceroreceptor

noun, a receptor cell which reacts to stimuli from organs such as the stomach, heart and lungs

strawberry mark

noun, a red birthmark in children, which will often disappear in later life

stretch reflex

noun, a reflex reaction of a muscle which contracts after being stretched

unconditioned response

noun, a response to a stimulus which occurs automatically, by instinct, and has not been learned

stress reaction

noun, a response to an outside stimulus which disturbs the usual physiological balance of the body

Waldeyer's ring

noun, a ring of lymphoid tissue made by the tonsils and adenoid [Described 1884. After Heinrich Wilhelm Gottfried Waldeyer-Hartz (1836-1921), German anatomist.]

Stryker frame

noun, a special piece of equipment on which a patient can easily be rotated by a nurse, used for patients with spinal injuries

syphilis

noun, a sexually transmitted disease caused by a spirochaete; Treponema pallidum; COMMENT: Syphilis is a serious sexually transmitted disease, but it is curable with penicillin injections if the treatment is started early. Syphilis has three stages: in the first, or primary, stage, a hard sore (chancre) appears on the genitals or sometimes on the mouth; in the second, or secondary, stage about two or three months later, a rash appears, with sores round the mouth and genitals. It is at this stage that the disease is particularly infectious. After this stage, symptoms disappear for a long time, sometimes many years. The disease reappears in the third, or tertiary, stage in many different forms: blindness, brain disorders, ruptured aorta or general paralysis leading to mental disorder and death. The tests for syphilis are the Wassermann test and the less reliable Kahn test.

stridor /stridulus

noun, a sharp high sound made when air passes an obstruction in the larynx. laryngismus

stomach cramp

noun, a sharp spasm of the stomach muscles stomach hernia stomach hernia noun same as gastrocele

test

noun, a short examination to see if a sample is healthy or if part of the body is working well; He had an eye test this morning. Laboratory tests showed that she was a meningitis carrier. Tests are being carried out on swabs taken from the operating theatre. the urine test was positive the examination of the urine sample showed the presence of an infection or a diagnostic substance; verb, to examine a sample of tissue to see if it is healthy or an organ to see if it is working well ; They sent the urine sample away for testing. I must have my eyes tested.

stump

noun, a short piece of a limb which is left after the rest has been amputated

symbol

noun, a sign or letter which means something

synergism

noun, a situation where two or more things are acting together in such a way that both are more effective. Also called synergy

tuberculid / tuberculide

noun, a skin wound caused by tuberculosis

turn

noun, a slight illness or attack of dizziness (informal); verb, 1. to move the head or body to face in another direction; 2. to change into something different; The solution is turned blue by the reagent.

upset

noun, a slight illness; adjective, slightly ill

stomach upset

noun, a slight infection of the stomach; She is in bed with a stomach upset. Also called upset stomach

weal

noun, a small area of skin which swells because of a sharp blow or an insect bite

superior ganglion

noun, a small collection of cells in the jugular foramen

test tube

noun, a small glass tube with a rounded bottom, used in laboratories to hold samples of liquids

wart

noun, a small hard harmless growth on the skin, usually on the hands, feet or face, caused by a virus (NOTE: Warts on the feet are called verrucas.)

verruca

noun, a small hard harmless growth on the sole of the foot, caused by a virus (NOTE: Verrucas are a type of wart. The plural is verrucas or verrucae.)

twitch

noun, a small movement of a muscle in the face or hands; verb, to make small movements of the muscles

thoracic inlet

noun, a small opening at the top of the thorax

tent

noun, a small shelter put over and around someone's bed so that gas or vapour can be passed inside

tubule

noun, a small tube in the body. renal tubule

valvula

noun, a small valve (NOTE: The plural is valvulae.)

venule

noun, a small vein or vessel leading from tissue to a larger vein

synovial membrane /synovium

noun, a smooth membrane which forms the inner lining of the capsule covering a joint and secretes the fluid which lubricates the joint.

visceral muscle

noun, a smooth muscle in the wall of the intestine which makes the intestine contract

unguent

noun, a smooth oily medicinal substance which can be spread on the skin to soothe irritations

talc

noun, a soft white powder used to dust on irritated skin

wax

noun, a soft yellow substance produced by bees or made from petroleum

vocal resonance

noun, a sound heard by a doctor when he or she listens through a stethoscope to the chest while a person is speaking

systolic murmur

noun, a sound produced during systole which indicates an unusual condition of a heart valve

subarachnoid space

noun, a space between the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater in the brain, containing cerebrospinal fluid

vacuole

noun, a space in a fold of a cell membrane

synovial cavity

noun, a space inside a synovial joint.

vacuum

noun, a space which is completely empty of all matter, including air

trismus

noun, a spasm in the lower jaw, which makes it difficult to open the mouth, a symptom of tetanus

Trousseau's sign

noun, a spasm in the muscles in the forearm when a tourniquet is applied to the upper arm, which causes the index and middle fingers to extend. It is a sign of latent tetany, showing that the blood contains too little calcium. [After Armand Trousseau (1801-67), French physician]

Swan-Ganz catheter

noun, a special catheter which can be floated through the right chamber of the heart into the pulmonary artery. The balloon at its tip is then inflated to measure arterial pressure.

vaginectomy

noun, a surgical operation to remove the vagina or part of it

Syme's amputation

noun, a surgical operation to amputate the foot above the ankle [Described 1842. After James Syme (1799-1870), Edinburgh surgeon and teacher; one of the first to adopt antisepsis (Joseph Lister was his son-in-law), and also among the early users of anaesthesia.]

vasectomy

noun, a surgical operation to cut a vas deferens, in order to prevent sperm travelling from the epididymis up the duct. bilateral vasectomy

valvotomy

noun, a surgical operation to cut into a valve to make it open wider

sympathectomy

noun, a surgical operation to cut part of the sympathetic nervous system, as a treatment of high blood pressure

tractotomy

noun, a surgical operation to cut the nerve pathway taking sensations of pain to the brain, as a treatment for severe pain that is hard to control

tenotomy

noun, a surgical operation to cut through a tendon

sternotomy

noun, a surgical operation to cut through the breastbone, so as to be able to operate on the heart

thoracoplasty

noun, a surgical operation to cut through the ribs to allow the lungs to collapse, formerly a treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis

vagotomy

noun, a surgical operation to cut through the vagus nerve which controls the nerves in the stomach, as a treatment for peptic ulcers

strabotomy

noun, a surgical operation to divide the muscles of the eye in order to correct a squint

ureterolysis

noun, a surgical operation to free one or both ureters from adhesions or surrounding tissue

vaginoplasty

noun, a surgical operation to graft tissue on to the vagina

ureterocolostomy

noun, a surgical operation to implant the ureter into the sigmoid colon, so as to bypass the bladder

varicotomy

noun, a surgical operation to make a cut into a varicose vein

tonsillotomy

noun, a surgical operation to make a cut into the tonsils

thoracotomy

noun, a surgical operation to make a hole in the wall of the chest

tracheostomy / tracheotomy

noun, a surgical operation to make a hole through the throat into the windpipe, so as to allow air to get to the lungs in cases where the trachea is blocked, as in pneumonia, poliomyelitis or diphtheria; COMMENT: After the operation, a tube is inserted into the hole to keep it open. The tube may be permanent if it is to bypass an obstruction, but can be removed if the condition improves.

ureterostomy

noun, a surgical operation to make an artificial opening for the ureter into the abdominal wall, so that urine can be passed directly out of the body

symphysiotomy

noun, a surgical operation to make an incision in the pubic symphysis to make the passage for a fetus wider

thalamotomy

noun, a surgical operation to make an incision into the thalamus to treat intractable pain

ureterotomy

noun, a surgical operation to make an incision into the ureter, mainly to remove a stone

urethrostomy

noun, a surgical operation to make an opening for a man's urethra between the scrotum and the anus

urethrotomy

noun, a surgical operation to open a blocked or narrowed urethra. Also called Wheelhouse's operation

thromboendarterectomy

noun, a surgical operation to open an artery to remove a blood clot which is blocking it

ventriculostomy

noun, a surgical operation to pass a hollow needle into a ventricle of the brain so as to reduce pressure, take a sample of fluid or enlarge the ventricular opening to prevent the need for a shunt

thrombectomy

noun, a surgical operation to remove a blood clot

sternal puncture

noun, a surgical operation to remove a sample of bone marrow from the breastbone for testing

vesiculectomy

noun, a surgical operation to remove a seminal vesicle

turbinectomy

noun, a surgical operation to remove a turbinate bone

varicectomy

noun, a surgical operation to remove a vein or part of a vein

thyroidectomy

noun, a surgical operation to remove all or part of the thyroid gland

thoracectomy

noun, a surgical operation to remove one or more ribs

symphysiectomy

noun, a surgical operation to remove part of the pubic symphysis to make childbirth easier

vitrectomy

noun, a surgical operation to remove some or all of the vitreous humour of the eye

transurethral prostatectomy / transurethral resection

noun, a surgical operation to remove the prostate gland, where the operation is carried out through the urethra. Abbr, TUR. Also called resection of the prostate

synovectomy

noun, a surgical operation to remove the synovial membrane of a joint

thymectomy

noun, a surgical operation to remove the thymus gland

thyroparathyroidectomy

noun, a surgical operation to remove the thyroid and parathyroid glands

tonsillectomy

noun, a surgical operation to remove the tonsils

tympanectomy

noun, a surgical operation to remove the tympanic membrane

uvulopalatopharyngoplasty

noun, a surgical operation to remove the uvula and other soft tissue in the palate, in order to widen the airways and treat the problem

thermography

noun, a technique, used especially in screening for breast cancer, where part of the body is photographed using infrared rays which record the heat given off by the skin and show variations in the blood circulating beneath the skin

van den Bergh test

noun, a test of blood serum to see if a case of jaundice is caused by an obstruction in the liver or by haemolysis of red blood cells [After A.A. Hijmans van den Bergh (1869-1943), Dutch physician]

test meal

noun, a test to check the secretion of gastric juices, no longer much used

tuberculin test

noun, a test to see if someone has tuberculosis, in which someone is exposed to tuberculin and the reaction of the skin is noted

systematic desensitisation

noun, a therapy for phobias and other anxiety disorders in which patients are gradually given longer and longer exposures to the object of their fears

vinculum

noun, a thin connecting band of tissue (NOTE: The plural is vincula.)

vomer

noun, a thin flat vertical bone in the septum of the nose

toenail

noun, a thin hard growth covering the end of a toe

string sign

noun, a thin line which appears on the ileum, a sign of regional ileitis or Crohn's disease

threadworm

noun, a thin parasitic worm, Enterobius vernicularis, which infests the large intestine and causes itching round the anus. Enterobius. Also called pinworm

washout

noun, a thorough cleaning with a liquid, especially water

strand

noun, a thread

tick

noun, a tiny parasite which sucks blood from the skin

villus

noun, a tiny projection like a finger on the surface of a mucous membrane (NOTE: The plural is villi.)

taste bud

noun, a tiny sensory receptor in the vallate and fungiform papillae of the tongue and in part of the back of the mouth; COMMENT: The taste buds can tell the difference between salt, sour, bitter and sweet tastes. The buds on the tip of the tongue identify salt and sweet tastes, those on the sides of the tongue identify sour, and those at the back of the mouth the bitter tastes. Note that most of what we think of as taste is in fact smell, and this is why when someone has a cold and a blocked nose, food seems to lose its taste. The impulses from the taste buds are received by the taste cortex in the temporal lobe of the cerebral hemisphere.

Tenon's capsule

noun, a tissue which lines the orbit of the eye [After Jacques René Tenon (1724-1816), French surgeon]

tubocurarine

noun, a toxic alkaloid which is the active constituent of curare, used as a muscle relaxant

streptolysin

noun, a toxin produced by streptococci in rheumatic fever, which acts to destroy red blood cells

toxoid

noun, a toxin which has been treated and is no longer poisonous, but which can still provoke the formation of antibodies. Toxoids are used as vaccines, and are injected into a patient to give immunity against specific diseases.

thalamocortical tract

noun, a tract containing nerve fibres, running from the thalamus to the sensory cortex

tectospinal tract

noun, a tract which takes nerve impulses from the mesencephalon to the spinal cord

vitreous humour

noun, a transparent jelly which fills the main cavity behind the lens in the eye.

trapezius

noun, a triangular muscle in the upper part of the back and the neck, which moves the shoulder blade and pulls the head back

trigone

noun, a triangular piece of the wall of the bladder, between the openings for the urethra and the two ureters

vas

noun, a tube in the body (NOTE: The plural is vasa.)

tendon sheath

noun, a tube of membrane which covers and protects a tendon

stomach tube

noun, a tube passed into the stomach to wash it out or to take samples of the contents

Wangensteen tube

noun, a tube which is passed into the stomach to remove the stomach's contents by suction [Described 1832. After Owen Harding Wangensteen (1898-1980), US surgeon.]

urethra

noun, a tube which takes urine from the bladder to be passed out of the body. COMMENT: In males, the urethra serves two purposes: the discharge of both urine and semen. The male urethra is about 20cm long; in women it is shorter, about 3cm and this relative shortness is one of the reasons for the predominance of bladder infection and inflammation (cystitis) in women. The urethra has sphincter muscles at either end which help control the flow of urine.

synovioma

noun, a tumour in a synovial membrane

thymoma

noun, a tumour in the thymus gland

telangioma

noun, a tumour or haematoma of the blood capillaries

teratoma

noun, a tumour, especially in an ovary or testis, which is formed of tissue not usually found in that part of the body

subsultus

noun, a twitching of the muscles and tendons, caused by fever

twilight sleep

noun, a type of anaesthetic sleep, in which the patient is semi-conscious but cannot feel any pain

streptobacillus

noun, a type of bacterium which forms a chain

Venturi mask

noun, a type of disposable mask which gives the person a controlled mixture of oxygen and air

transitional epithelium

noun, a type of epithelium found in the urethra

vulva

noun, a woman's external sexual organs, at the opening leading to the vagina. kraurosis vulvae (NOTE: For other terms referring to the vulva, see words beginning with episi-.) COMMENT: The vulva is formed of folds (the labia), surrounding the clitoris and the entrance to the vagina.

sulphur

noun, a yellow non-metallic chemical element which is contained in some amino acids and is used in creams to treat some skin disorders (NOTE: The chemical symbol is S. Note also that words beginning sulphare spelt sulf- in US English.)

urobilin

noun, a yellow pigment formed when urobilinogen comes into contact with air

tartrazine

noun, a yellow substance (E102) added to food to give it an attractive colour. Although widely used, tartrazine provokes reactions in hypersensitive people and is banned in some countries.

urine

noun, a yellowish liquid, containing water and waste products, mainly salt and urea, which is excreted by the kidneys and passed out of the body through the ureters, bladder and urethra

unprofessional conduct

noun, action by a professional person such as a doctor or nurse which is considered wrong by the body which regulates the profession; '...refusing to care for someone with HIV-related disease may well result in disciplinary procedure for unprofessional conduct' [Nursing Times]

surgical emphysema

noun, air bubbles in tissue, not in the lungs

vas deferens

noun, also called ductus deferens, sperm duct (NOTE: The plural is vasa deferentia.)

water sac

noun, amnion

tsetse fly

noun, an African insect which passes trypanosomes into the human bloodstream, causing sleeping sickness

urography

noun, an X-ray examination of part of the urinary system after injection of radio-opaque dye

vesiculography

noun, an X-ray examination of the seminal vesicles

uterography

noun, an X-ray examination of the uterus

urogram

noun, an X-ray picture of the urinary tract, or of a part of it

ventriculogram

noun, an X-ray picture of the ventricles of the brain

vaginography

noun, an Xray examination of the vagina

urethrogram

noun, an Xray photograph of the urethra

therapeutic abortion

noun, an abortion which is carried out because the health of the mother is in danger

stitch abscess

noun, an abscess which forms at the site of a stitch or suture

subphrenic abscess

noun, an abscess which forms between the diaphragm and the liver

stoppage

noun, an act of stopping the function of an organ

sticking plaster

noun, an adhesive plaster or tape used to cover a small wound or to attach a pad of dressing to the skin

tissue plasminogen activator

noun, an agent given to cause fibrinolysis in blood clots. Abbr, TPA

vincristine

noun, an alkaloid drug similar to vinblastine, also used in the treatment of cancer. It works by blocking cell division and is highly toxic.

vinblastine

noun, an alkaloid drug used in the treatment of cancer

urticaria

noun, an allergic reaction to injections, particular foods or plants where the skin forms irritating reddish patches. Also called hives, nettle rash

tyrosine

noun, an amino acid in protein which is a component of thyroxine, and is a precursor to the catecholamines dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline

taurine

noun, an amino acid which forms bile salts

volume

noun, an amount of a substance

tai chi /t'ai chi

noun, an ancient Chinese system of exercises designed for health, self-defence and spiritual development

streptomycin

noun, an antibacterial drug used mainly for the treatment of tuberculosis

tetracycline

noun, an antibiotic of a group used to treat a wide range of bacterial diseases such as chlamydia. However, they are deposited in bones and teeth and cause a permanent yellow stain in teeth if given to children. COMMENT: Because of its side-effects tetracycline should not be given to children. Many bacteria are now resistant to tetracycline.

vancomycin

noun, an antibiotic which is effective against some bacteria which are resistant to other antibiotics. Strains of bacteria resistant to vancomycin have now developed.

trazodone

noun, an antidepressant drug which has a strong sedative effect, used in the treatment of depressive disorders accompanied by insomnia

terfenadine

noun, an antihistamine used in the treatment of hay fever and urticaria

trimeprazine

noun, an antihistamine used to relieve the itching caused by eczema and various skin rashes, including allergic skin rashes caused by poison ivy

tranquilliser / tranquillizer, tranquillising drug

noun, an antipsychotic, anxiolytic or hypnotic drug which relieves someone's anxiety and calms him or her down (informal ); She's taking tranquillisers to calm her nerves. He's been on tranquillisers ever since he started his new job.

tonsil

noun, an area of lymphoid tissue at the back of the throat in which lymph circulates and protects the body against germs entering through the mouth. Also called palatine tonsil; COMMENT: The tonsils are larger in children than in adults, and are more liable to infection. When infected, the tonsils become enlarged and can interfere with breathing.

typhoid / typhoid fever

noun, an infection of the intestine caused by Salmonella typhi in food and water; COMMENT: Typhoid fever gives a fever and diarrhea and the person may pass blood in the faeces. It can be fatal if not treated. People who have had the disease may become carriers, and the Widal test is used to detect the presence of typhoid fever in the blood.

subacute bacterial endocarditis /subacute infective endocarditis

noun, an infection of the membrane covering the inner surfaces of the heart caused by bacteria

thrush

noun, an infection of the mouth or the vagina with the bacterium Candida albicans

strep throat

noun, an infection of the throat by a streptococcus (informal )

tuberculosis

noun, an infectious disease caused by the tuberculosis bacillus, where infected lumps form in the tissue. Abbr, TB; COMMENT: Tuberculosis can take many forms: the commonest form is infection of the lungs (pulmonary tuberculosis), but it can also attack the bones (Pott's disease), the skin (lupus), or the lymph nodes (scrofula). Tuberculosis is caught by breathing in bacillus or by eating contaminated food, especially unpasteurized milk. It can be passed from one person to another, and the carrier sometimes shows no signs of the disease. Tuberculosis can be cured by treatment with antibiotics, and can be prevented by inoculation with BCG vaccine. The tests for the presence of TB are the Mantoux test, the Heaf test and the patch test; it can also be detected by X-ray screening.

tick fever

noun, an infectious disease transmitted by bites from ticks

trichuriasis

noun, an infestation of the intestine with whipworms

tendovaginitis

noun, an inflammation of a tendon sheath, especially in the thumb

tendinitis

noun, an inflammation of a tendon, especially after playing sport, and often associated with tenosynovitis

tarsitis

noun, an inflammation of the edge of the eyelid

valvular disease of the heart

noun, an inflammation of the membrane which lines the valves of the heart. Abbr, VDH

tennis elbow

noun, an inflammation of the tendons of the extensor muscles in the hand which are attached to the bone near the elbow. Also called lateral epicondylitis

thermogram

noun, an infrared photograph of part of the body

Tay-Sachs disease

noun, an inherited condition affecting the metabolism, characterised by progressive paralysis of the legs, blindness and learning disabilities [Described 1881. After Warren Tay (1843-1927), British ophthalmologist; Bernard Sachs (1858-1944), US neurologist.]

stove-in chest

noun, an injury resulting from an accident, where several ribs are broken and pushed towards the inside

tricuspid valve

noun, an inlet valve with three cusps between the right atrium and the right ventricle in the heart.

vector

noun, an insect or animal which carries a disease and can pass it to humans; The tsetse fly is a vector of sleeping sickness.

sterol

noun, an insoluble substance which belongs to the steroid alcohols, e.g. cholesterol

stomach pump

noun, an instrument for sucking out the contents of the stomach, e.g. to extract a poison that has been swallowed

stripper

noun, an instrument in the

tourniquet

noun, an instrument or tight bandage wrapped round a limb to constrict an artery, so reducing the flow of blood and stopping bleeding from a wound

synoptophore

noun, an instrument used to correct a squint

ureteroscope

noun, an instrument which is passed into the ureter and up into the kidneys, usually used to locate or remove a stone

ultrasonic probe

noun, an instrument which locates organs or tissues inside the body using ultrasound

tonometer

noun, an instrument which measures the pressure inside an organ, especially the eye

urinometer

noun, an instrument which measures the specific gravity of urine

stethograph

noun, an instrument which records breathing movements of the chest

stethometer

noun, an instrument which records how far the chest expands when a person breathes in

tongue depressor

noun, an instrument, usually a thin piece of wood, used by a doctor to hold someone's tongue down while the throat is being examined

TNM classification

noun, an internationally agreed standard which is the most widely used means for classifying the extent of cancer. T refers to the size of the tumour, N to the lymph node involvement and M to the presence or absence of metastasis.

tic

noun, an involuntary twitch of the muscles usually in the face (informal )

trigeminy

noun, an irregular heartbeat, where a regular beat is followed by two ectopic beats

strontium-90

noun, an isotope of strontium which is formed in nuclear reactions and, because it is part of the fallout of nuclear explosions, can enter the food chain, attacking in particular the bones of humans and animals

vernix caseosa

noun, an oily substance which covers a baby's skin at birth

ulcer

noun, an open sore in the skin or in a mucous membrane, which is inflamed and difficult to heal stomach ulcer

transdiaphragmatic approach

noun, an operation carried out through the diaphragm

thoracocentesis

noun, an operation in which a hollow needle is inserted into the pleura to drain fluid

steroid

noun, any of several chemical compounds, including the sex hormones, which have characteristic ring systems and which affect the body and its functions; COMMENT: The word steroid is usually used to refer to corticosteroids. Synthetic steroids are used in steroid therapy, to treat arthritis, asthma and some blood disorders. They are also used by some athletes to improve their physical strength, but these are banned by athletic organisations and can have serious side-effects.

sugar

noun, any of several sweet carbohydrates (NOTE: For other terms referring to sugar, see words beginning with glyc-, glyco-.) COMMENT: There are several natural forms of sugar: sucrose (in plants), lactose (in milk), fructose (in fruit), glucose and dextrose (in fruit and in body tissue). Edible sugar used in the home is a form of refined sucrose. All sugars are useful sources of energy, though excessive amounts of sugar can increase weight and cause tooth decay. Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which the body is incapable of absorbing sugar from food.

trochlea

noun, any part of the body shaped like a pulley, especially part of the lower end of the humerus, which articulates with the ulna, or a curved bone in the frontal bone through which one of the eye muscles passes (NOTE: The plural is trochleae.)

trichosis

noun, any unusual condition of the hair

Still's disease

noun, arthritis affecting children, similar to rheumatoid arthritis in adults [Described 1896. After Sir George Frederic Still (1868-1941), British paediatrician and physician to the king.]

total deafness

noun, being unable to hear any sound at all. Hearing loss

venous bleeding

noun, bleeding from a vein

vaginal bleeding

noun, bleeding from the vagina

subarachnoid haemorrhage

noun, bleeding into the cerebrospinal fluid of the subarachnoid space

strike-through

noun, blood absorbed right through a dressing so as to be visible on the outside 'If strike-through occurs, the wound dressing should be repadded, not removed' [British Journal of Nursing]

uniovular

noun, consisting of, or coming from, one ovum

tussis

noun, coughing

vascular lesion

noun, damage to a blood vessel

sunburn

noun, damage to the skin by excessive exposure to sunlight

tarry stool

noun, dark and sticky solid matter which is passed out of the bowels

sudden death

noun, death without any identifiable cause, not preceded by an illness

sugar intolerance

noun, diarrhoea caused by sugar which has not been absorbed

traveller's diarrhoea

noun, diarrhoea that affects people who travel to foreign countries and which is due to contact with a different type of E. coli from the one they are used to. (informal )

varicose eczema

noun, eczema which develops on the legs, caused by bad circulation. Also called hypostatic eczema

vagus / vagus nerve

noun, either of the tenth pair of cranial nerves which carry sensory and motor neurons serving the heart, lungs, stomach, and various other organs and control swallowing. Also called pneumogastric nerve

temporal lobe epilepsy

noun, epilepsy due to a disorder of the temporal lobe and causing impaired memory, hallucinations and automatism

stratified epithelium

noun, epithelium formed of several layers of cells

surgical spirit

noun, ethyl alcohol with an additive giving it an unpleasant taste, used as a disinfectant or for cleansing the skin. Also called rubbing alcohol

unsaturated fat

noun, fat which does not have a large amount of hydrogen, and so can be broken down more easily

subcutaneous tissue

noun, fatty tissue under the skin

transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

noun, full form of TENS

trench mouth

noun, gingivitis

tertiary care / tertiary health care

noun, highly specialized treatment given in a health care centre, often using very advanced technology. Compare primary care, secondary care

United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Visiting

noun, in the UK from 1979 until April 2002, an organization which regulated nurses, midwives, and health visitors. The UKCC and the four National Boards have now been replaced by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Abbr, UKCC

Strategic Health Authority

noun, in the UK, an organisation, accountable to government, that assesses the health needs of local people and ensures that local health services are commissioned and provided to meet those needs. Abbr, StHA

trichomoniasis

noun, infestation of the intestine or vagina with Trichomonas

taeniasis

noun, infestation of the intestines with tapeworms

vasculitis

noun, inflammation of a blood vessel

ureteritis

noun, inflammation of a ureter

valvulitis

noun, inflammation of a valve in the heart

thromboarteritis

noun, inflammation of an artery caused by thrombosis

uveitis

noun, inflammation of any part of the uvea

tracheobronchitis

noun, inflammation of both the trachea and the bronchi

trigonitis

noun, inflammation of the bottom part of the wall of the bladder

ventriculitis

noun, inflammation of the brain ventricles

susceptibility

noun, lack of resistance to a disease '...low birthweight has been associated with increased susceptibility to infection' [East African Medical Journal] '...even children with the milder forms of sickle-cell disease have an increased frequency of pneumococcal infection. The reason for this susceptibility is a profound abnormality of the immune system' [Lancet]

surgical care

noun, looking after patients who have had surgery

virilism

noun, male characteristics such as body hair and a deep voice in a woman

thyroid dysfunction

noun, malfunction of the thyroid gland

supervision

noun, management or organization; Elderly patients need constant supervision. The sheltered housing is under the supervision of a full-time nurse.

wadding

noun, material used to make a wad Put a layer of cotton wadding over the eye.

turbinate bone

noun, nasal conchae

stertor

noun, noisy breathing sounds in someone unconscious

tocopherol

noun, one of a group of fat-soluble compounds which make up vitamin E, found in vegetable oils and leafy green vegetables

tooth

noun, one of a set of bones in the mouth which are used to chew food (NOTE: The plural is teeth. For other terms relating to the teeth, see words beginning with dent-.) COMMENT: A tooth is formed of a soft core of pulp, covered with a layer of hard dentine. The top part of the tooth, the crown, which can be seen above the gum, is covered with hard shiny enamel which is very hard-wearing. The lower part of the tooth, the root, which attaches the tooth to the jaw, is covered with cement, also a hard substance, but which is slightly rough and holds the periodontal membrane which links the tooth to the jaw. The milk teeth in a child appear over the first two years of childhood and consist of incisors, canines and molars. The permanent teeth which replace them are formed of eight incisors, four canines, eight premolars and twelve molars. The last four molars (the third molars or wisdom teeth), are not always present, and do not appear much before the age of twenty. Permanent teeth start to appear about the age of five to six. The order of eruption of the permanent teeth is: first molars, incisors, premolars, canines, second molars, wisdom teeth.

vas efferens

noun, one of many tiny tubes which take the spermatozoa from the testis to the epididymis (NOTE: The plural is vasa efferentia.)

tarsal bone

noun, one of seven small bones in the ankle, including the talus and calcaneus. Also called tarsal

systemic lupus erythematosus

noun, one of several collagen diseases which are forms of lupus, where red patches form on the skin and spread throughout the body. Abbr, SLE

typhus

noun, one of several fevers caused by the Rickettsia bacterium, transmitted by fleas and lice, producing a fever, extreme weakness and a dark rash on the skin. The test for typhus is the Weil-Felix reaction.

superior mesenteric artery

noun, one of the arteries which supply the small intestine

temporal bone

noun, one of the bones which form the sides and base of the cranium. COMMENT: The temporal bone is in two parts: the petrous part forms the base of the skull and the inner and middle ears, while the squamous part forms the side of the skull. The lower back part of the temporal bone is the mastoid process, while the part between the ear and the cheek is the zygomatic arch.

trapezoid

noun, one of the eight small carpal bones in the wrist, below the first finger.

trapezium

noun, one of the eight small carpal bones in the wrist, below the thumb. (NOTE: The plural is trapeziums or trapezia.)

unciform bone

noun, one of the eight small carpal bones in the wrist, shaped like a hook. Also called hamate bone

triquetrum / triquetral/ triquetral bone

noun, one of the eight small carpal bones in the wrist.

taste

noun, one of the five senses, where food or substances in the mouth are noticed through the tongue; She doesn't like the taste of onions. He has a cold, so food seems to have lost all taste or seems to have no taste. verb,1. to notice the taste of something with the tongue I have a cold so I can't taste anything You can taste the salt in this butter. 2. to have a taste The tablets taste of peppermint.

touch

noun, one of the five senses, where sensations are felt by part of the skin, especially by the fingers and lips; COMMENT: Touch is sensed by receptors in the skin which send impulses back to the brain. The touch receptors can tell the difference between hot and cold, hard and soft, wet and dry, and rough and smooth.

toe

noun, one of the five separate parts at the end of the foot. Each toe is formed of three bones or phalanges, except the big toe, which only has two.

thymine

noun, one of the four basic chemicals in DNA

third molar

noun, one of the four molars at the back of the jaw, which only appears at about the age of 20 and sometimes does not appear at all. Same as wisdom tooth

thoracic duct

noun, one of the main terminal ducts carrying lymph, on the left side of the neck

trimester

noun, one of the three 3-month periods of a pregnancy

true rib

noun, one of the top seven pairs of ribs which are attached to the breastbone. Compare false rib

ureter

noun, one of the two tubes which take urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. Also called urinary duct

subclavian vein

noun, one of the veins which continue the axillary veins into the brachiocephalic vein

triplet

noun, one of three babies born to a mother at the same time

thiopentone / thiopentone sodium

noun, same as thiopental sodium (NOTE: Its chemical formula is C11H17N2O2SNa.)

vertebra

noun, one of twenty-four ring-shaped bones which link together to form the backbone. (NOTE: The plural is vertebrae.) COMMENT: The top vertebra (the atlas) supports the skull; the first seven vertebrae in the neck are the cervical vertebrae; then follow the twelve thoracic or dorsal vertebrae which are behind the chest and five lumbar vertebrae in the lower part of the back. The sacrum and coccyx are formed of five sacral vertebrae and four coccygeal vertebrae which have fused together.

subclavian artery

noun, one of two arteries branching from the aorta on the left and from the innominate artery on the right, continuing into the brachial arteries and supplying blood to each arm

vertebral artery

noun, one of two arteries which go up the back of the neck into the brain

tibial artery

noun, one of two arteries which run down the front and back of the lower leg

twin

noun, one of two babies born to a mother at the same time; COMMENT: Twins occur at a rate of about one birth in 38. They are often found in the same family, where the tendency to have twins is passed through females.

suprarenal gland /suprarenal

noun, one of two endocrine glands at the top of the kidneys, which secrete adrenaline and other hormones

vena cava

noun, one of two large veins which take deoxygenated blood from all the other veins into the right atrium of the heart. (NOTE: The plural is venae cavae.) COMMENT: The superior vena cava brings blood from the head and the top part of the body, while the inferior vena cava brings blood from the abdomen and legs.

testis

noun, one of two male sex glands in the scrotum. Also called testicle (NOTE: The plural is testes. For other terms referring to the testes, see words beginning with orchi-.) COMMENT: The testes produce both spermatozoa and the sex hormone, testosterone. Spermatozoa are formed in the testes, and passed into the epididymis to be stored. From the epididymis they pass along the vas deferens through the prostate gland which secretes the seminal fluid, and are ejaculated through the penis.

thalamus

noun, one of two masses of grey matter situated beneath the cerebrum where impulses from the sensory neurons are transmitted to the cerebral cortex. (NOTE: The plural is thalami.)

tibialis

noun, one of two muscles in the lower leg running from the tibia to the foot

teres

noun, one of two shoulder muscles running from the shoulder blade to the top of the humerus. The larger of the two muscles, the teres major, makes the arm turn towards the inside, and the smaller, the teres minor, makes it turn towards the outside.

theatre

noun, operating theatre 'While waiting to go to theatre, parents should be encouraged to participate in play with their children' [British Journal of Nursing]

Sudeck's atrophy

noun, osteoporosis in the hand or foot [Described 1900. After Paul Hermann Martin Sudeck (1866-1938), German surgeon.]

thyrotoxic goitre

noun, overactivity of the thyroid gland, as in hyperthyroidism

stomach ache

noun, pain in the abdomen or stomach, caused by eating too much food or by an infection

throbbing pain

noun, pain which continues in repeated short attacks

thoracic aorta

noun, part of the aorta which crosses the thorax

sympathetic nervous system /sympathetic system

noun, part of the autonomic nervous system, which leaves the spinal cord from the thoracic and lumbar regions to go to various important organs such as the heart, the lungs and the sweat glands, and which prepares the body for emergencies and vigorous muscular activity. Parasympathetic nervous system

visceral peritoneum

noun, part of the peritoneum which covers the organs in the abdominal cavity

vomit

noun, partly digested food which has been brought up from the stomach into the mouth; His bed was covered with vomit. She died after choking on her own vomit. Also called vomitus; verb, to bring up partly digested food from the stomach into the mouth He had a fever, and then started to vomit. She vomited her breakfast.

twenty-twenty vision

noun, perfect vision

traumatic pneumothorax

noun, pneumothorax which results from damage to the lung surface or to the wall of the chest, allowing air to leak into the space between the pleurae

toxicosis

noun, poisoning

thyroglobulin

noun, protein stored in the thyroid gland which is broken down into thyroxine

vibration

noun, rapid and continuous movement; Speech is formed by the vibrations of the vocal cords.

trembling

noun, rapid small movements of a limb or muscles; Trembling of the hands is a symptom of Parkinson's disease.

turbulent flow

noun, rushing or uneven flow of blood in a vessel, usually caused by a partial obstruction

water-hammer pulse

noun, same as Corrigan's pulse

trisomy 21

noun, same as Down's syndrome

uterine tube

noun, same as Fallopian tube

T-cell

noun, same as T-lymphocyte

Trichocephalus

noun, same as Trichuris

thiamine / thiamin

noun, same as Vitamin B1

suprarenal medulla

noun, same as adrenal medulla

vasopressin

noun, same as antidiuretic hormone

vermiform appendix

noun, same as appendix 1

tinea pedis

noun, same as athlete's foot

sternum

noun, same as breastbone; COMMENT: The sternum runs from the neck to the bottom of the diaphragm. It is formed of the manubrium (the top section), the body of the sternum and the xiphoid process. The upper seven pairs of ribs are attached to the sternum.

thyrocalcitonin

noun, same as calcitonin

stroke

noun, same as cerebrovascular accident, He had a stroke and died. She was paralysed after a stroke. Verb, to touch something or someone softly with the fingers '...stroke is the third most frequent cause of death in developed countries after ischaemic heart disease and cancer' [British Journal of Hospital Medicine] '...raised blood pressure may account for as many as 70% of all strokes. The risk of stroke rises with both systolic and diastolic blood pressure' [British Journal of Hospital Medicine] COMMENT: There are two causes of stroke: cerebral haemorrhage (haemorrhagic stroke), when an artery bursts and blood leaks into the brain, and cerebral thrombosis (occlusive stroke), where a blood clot blocks an artery.

telencephalon

noun, same as cerebrum

varicella

noun, same as chickenpox

tormina

noun, same as colic

vaginoscope

noun, same as colposcope

vesicofixation

noun, same as cystopexy

vesicostomy / vesicotomy

noun, same as cystostomy

swallowing

noun, same as deglutition

venous blood

noun, same as deoxygenated blood

uterus didelphys

noun, same as double uterus

tuberose sclerosis

noun, same as epiloia

thrombolysis

noun, same as fibrinolysis

uterine fibroid / uterine fibroma

noun, same as fibroid tumour

stomach washout

noun, same as gastric lavage

stye

noun, same as hordeolum

vitritis

noun, same as hyalitis

thyrotoxicosis

noun, same as hyperthyroidism

subcutaneous injection

noun, same as hypodermic injection

vertebral disc

noun, same as intervertebral disc

syngraft

noun, same as isograft

tear duct

noun, same as lacrimal duct

tear gland

noun, same as lacrimal gland

uricacidaemia

noun, same as lithaemia

tarsal gland

noun, same as meibomian gland

transverse arch

noun, same as metatarsal arch

travel sickness

noun, same as motion sickness

tympanoplasty

noun, same as myringoplasty

tympanotomy

noun, same as myringotomy

umbilicus

noun, same as navel

ureteronephrectomy

noun, same as nephroureterectomy

tympanitis

noun, same as otitis media

uraniscorrhaphy

noun, same as palatorrhaphy

tapping

noun, same as paracentesis

superficial thickness burn

noun, same as partial thickness burn

vaginal suppository

noun, same as pessary 1

visceral pouch

noun, same as pharyngeal pouch

vial

noun, same as phial

venogram

noun, same as phlebogram

venography

noun, same as phlebography

sun blindness

noun, same as photoretinitis

thrombocyte

noun, same as platelet

Vaquez-Osler disease

noun, same as polycythaemia vera [After Henri Vaquez (1860-1936), French physician, Sir William Osler (1849-1919), Professor of Medicine in Montreal, Philadelphia, Baltimore and then Oxford]

symphysis pubis

noun, same as pubic symphysis

uriniferous tubule

noun, same as renal tubule

visual purple

noun, same as rhodopsin

thoracic outlet syndrome

noun, same as scalenus syndrome

viral hepatitis

noun, same as serum hepatitis

variola

noun, same as smallpox

unstriated muscle

noun, same as smooth muscle

testicular artery

noun, same as spermatic artery

vertebral canal

noun, same as spinal canal

tropia

noun, same as squint

stuttering

noun, same as stammering

stirrup

noun, same as stapes

stirrup bone

noun, same as stapes

striped muscle

noun, same as striated muscle

valvuloplasty

noun, surgery to repair valves in the heart without opening the heart; '...in percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty a catheter introduced through the femoral vein is placed across the aortic valve and into the left ventricle; the catheter is removed and a valve-dilating catheter bearing a 15mm balloon is placed across the valve' [Journal of the American Medical Association]

ureterocele

noun, swelling in a ureter caused by narrowing of the opening where the ureter enters the bladder

varicocele

noun, swelling of a vein in the spermatic cord which can be corrected by surgery

thyrocele

noun, swelling of the thyroid gland

tumefaction

noun, swelling within body tissue, usually caused a buildup of blood or water

tumescence

noun, swollen tissue where liquid has accumulated underneath. oedema

syringobulbia

noun, syringomyelia in the brain stem

supraventricular tachycardia

noun, tachycardia coming from the upper chambers of the heart

temper tantrum

noun, tantrum

Sydenham's chorea

noun, temporary chorea affecting children, frequently associated with endocarditis and rheumatism [Described 1686. After Thomas Sydenham (1624-89), English physician.]

testicular hormone

noun, testosterone

tendo calcaneus

noun, the Achilles tendon, the tendon at the back of the ankle which connects the calf muscles to the heel and which acts to pull up the heel when the calf muscle is contracted

Système International d'Unités

noun, the International System of units. SI

tolerance

noun, the ability of the body to tolerate a substance or an action; He has been taking the drug for so long that he has developed a tolerance to it. '26 patients were selected from the outpatient department on grounds of disabling breathlessness, severely limiting exercise tolerance and the performance of activities of normal daily living' [Lancet]

stereoscopic vision

noun, the ability to judge the distance and depth of an object by binocular vision

visual acuity

noun, the ability to see objects clearly

vision

noun, the ability to see, eyesight; After the age of 50, many people's vision begins to fail.

stereognosis

noun, the ability to tell the shape of an object in three dimensions by means of touch

volition

noun, the ability to use the will

ventilation

noun, the act of breathing air in or out of the lungs, so removing waste products from the blood in exchange for oxygen. dead space

vomiting

noun, the act of bringing up vomit into the mouth. Also called emesis

vaginal examination

noun, the act of checking the vagina for signs of disease or growth

survival

noun, the act of continuing to live; The survival rate of newborn babies has begun to fall.

vivisection

noun, the act of dissecting a living animal as an experiment

termination

noun, the act of ending something termination (of pregnancy) abortion

study

noun, the act of examining something to learn about it; She's making a study of diseases of small children. They have finished their study of the effects of the drug on pregnant women. Verb, to examine something to learn about it; He's studying pharmacy. Doctors are studying the results of the screening programme.

toileting

noun, the act of helping someone to perform the actions of urinating or opening their bowels, including helping them to do so if they are unable to get out of bed or are incontinent

suicide

noun, the act of killing oneself to commit suicide to kill yourself; After his wife died he committed suicide.

suffocation

noun, the act of making someone become unconscious by cutting off his or her supply of air

uresis

noun, the act of passing urine

underproduction

noun, the act of producing less than normal

venepuncture

noun, the act of puncturing a vein either to inject a drug or to take a blood sample

substitution

noun, the act of replacing one thing with another

strangulation

noun, the act of squeezing a passage in the body

suppression

noun, the act of suppressing something the suppression of allergic responses the suppression of a hormone

subculturing

noun, the act of taking a culture of bacteria from a stock culture

transplantation

noun, the act of transplanting something '...bone marrow transplantation has the added complication of graft-versus-host disease' [Hospital Update]

supination

noun, the act of turning the hand so that the palm faces upwards. Opposite pronation.

stimulation

noun, the action of stimulating something

thumb-sucking

noun, the action of sucking a thumb; Thumb-sucking tends to push the teeth forward.

vagal tone

noun, the action of the vagus nerve to slow the beat of the sinoatrial node

strongyloidiasis

noun, the fact of being infested with Strongyloides which enters the skin and then travels to the lungs and the intestines

vaccination

noun, the action of vaccinating someone; COMMENT: Originally the words vaccination and vaccine applied only to smallpox immunisation, but they are now used for immunization against any disease. Vaccination is mainly given against cholera, diphtheria, rabies, smallpox, tuberculosis, and typhoid.

suggested daily intake

noun, the amount of a substance which it is recommended a person should take in each day

tidal air / tidal volume

noun, the amount of air that passes in and out of the body in breathing

stroke volume

noun, the amount of blood pumped out of the ventricle at each heartbeat

urinalysis

noun, the analysis of urine, to detect diseases such as diabetes mellitus

sternoclavicular angle

noun, the angle between the sternum and the clavicle

telepathy

noun, the apparent communication directly from one person's mind to another person's, without the use of speech, writing or other signs or symbols

suprarenal area

noun, the area of the body above the kidneys

visual field

noun, the area which can be seen without moving the eye. Also called field of vision

thenar eminence

noun, the ball of the thumb, the lump of flesh in the palm of the hand below the thumb

stock culture

noun, the basic culture of bacteria, from which other cultures can be taken

thelarche

noun, the beginning of the process of breast development in young women

vaginal delivery

noun, the birth of a baby through the mother's vagina, without surgical intervention

stillbirth

noun, the birth of a dead fetus, more than 28 weeks after conception (informal )

venous thrombosis

noun, the blocking of a vein by a blood clot

thrombophlebitis

noun, the blocking of a vein by a blood clot, sometimes causing inflammation

thrombosis

noun, the blocking of an artery or vein by a mass of coagulated blood

thorax

noun, the cavity in the top part of the front of the body above the abdomen, containing the diaphragm, heart and lungs, and surrounded by the ribcage

umbilical region

noun, the central part of the abdomen, below the epigastrium

vermis

noun, the central part of the cerebellum, which forms the top of the fourth ventricle

thoracic cavity

noun, the chest cavity, containing the diaphragm, heart and lungs

systemic circulation

noun, the circulation of blood around the whole body, except the lungs, starting with the aorta and returning through the venae cavae

umbilical circulation

noun, the circulation of blood from the mother's bloodstream through the umbilical cord into the fetus

virginity

noun, the condition of a female who has not experienced sexual intercourse

turgor

noun, the condition of being swollen

tiredness

noun, the condition of being tired

tongue-tie

noun, the condition of being unable to move your tongue with the usual amount of freedom, because the small membrane which attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth is unusually short

wakefulness

noun, the condition of being wide awake

tridactyly

noun, the condition of having only three fingers or toes

underhydration

noun, the condition of having too little water in the body

transvestism

noun, the condition of liking to dress and behave as a member of the opposite sex

vasomotion

noun, the control of the diameter of blood vessels and thus of blood flow. vasoconstriction, vasodilatation

tegmen

noun, the covering for an organ (NOTE: The plural is tegmina.)

topography

noun, the description of each particular part of the body

tylosis

noun, the development of a callus

ulceration

noun, the development of an ulcer

virilisation / virilization

noun, the development of male characteristics in a woman, caused by a hormone imbalance or therapy

vascularisation /vascularization

noun, the development of new blood vessels

vicarious menstruation

noun, the discharge of blood other than by the vagina during menstrual periods

urethrorrhoea

noun, the discharge of fluid from the urethra, usually associated with urethritis

vestibulocochlear nerve

noun, the eighth cranial nerve which governs hearing and balance. Also called acoustic nerve, auditory nerve

terminal branch

noun, the end part of a neurone which is linked to a muscle.

venous haemorrhage

noun, the escape of blood from a vein

ultrasound scan

noun, the examination of internal parts of the body, especially a fetus in the womb, using ultrasound technology

tympanites

noun, the expansion of the stomach with gas. Also called meteorism

suffering

noun, the experiencing of pain over a long period of time

tendency

noun, the fact of being likely to do something to have a tendency to something to be likely to have something; There is a tendency to obesity in her family. The children of the area show a tendency to vitamin-deficiency diseases. '...premature babies have been shown to have a higher tendency to develop a squint during childhood' [Nursing Times]

stiffness

noun, the fact of being stiff arthritis accompanied by stiffness in the joints

strength

noun, the fact of being strong After her illness she had no strength in her limbs.

viability

noun, the fact of being viable; The viability of the fetus before the 22nd week is doubtful.

weakness

noun, the fact of lacking strength; The doctor noticed the weakness of the patient's pulse.

tracheal tugging

noun, the feeling that something is pulling on the windpipe when the person breathes in, a symptom of aneurysm

thighbone

noun, the femur, the bone in the top part of the leg, which joins the acetabulum at the hip and the tibia at the knee (NOTE: For other terms referring to the thigh, see femoral.)

trigeminal nerve

noun, the fifth cranial nerve, formed of the ophthalmic nerve, the maxillary nerve and the mandibular nerve, which controls the sensory nerves in the forehead, face and chin, and the muscles in the jaw

telophase

noun, the final stage of mitosis, the stage in cell division after anaphase

taboparesis

noun, the final stage of syphilis in which the person has locomotor ataxia, general paralysis and mental deterioration

temple

noun, the flat part of the side of the head between the top of the ear and the eye

vaginal discharge

noun, the flow of liquid from the vagina

vesicoureteric reflux

noun, the flowing of urine back from the bladder up the ureters during urination, which may carry infection from the bladder to the kidneys. Also called vesicouretic reflux

suppuration

noun, the formation and discharge of pus

vesiculation

noun, the formation of blisters on the skin

trochlear nerve

noun, the fourth cranial nerve which controls the muscles of the eyeball

synostosis

noun, the fusing of two bones together by the formation of new bone tissue

systolic pressure

noun, the high point of blood pressure which occurs during the systole. Systolic pressure is always higher than diastolic pressure.

uterus

noun, the hollow organ in a woman's pelvic cavity, behind the bladder and in front of the rectum in which the embryo develops before birth. Also called womb. (NOTE: For other terms referring to the uterus, see words beginning with hyster-, hystero-, metr-, metro-.) COMMENT: The top of the uterus is joined to the Fallopian tubes which link it to the ovaries, and the lower end (cervix uteri) opens into the vagina. When an ovum is fertilised it becomes implanted in the wall of the uterus and develops into an embryo inside it. If fertilisation and pregnancy do not take place, the lining of the uterus (endometrium) is shed during menstruation. At childbirth, strong contractions of the wall of the uterus (myometrium) help push the baby out through the vagina.

tissue type

noun, the immunological characteristics of a tissue that determine whether or not it can be successfully transplanted into another person

urinary retention

noun, the inability to pass urine, usually because the urethra is blocked or because the prostate gland is enlarged. Also called urine retention

toxocariasis

noun, the infestation of the intestine with worms from a dog or cat. Also called visceral larva migrans

tenonitis

noun, the inflammation of a tendon

visceral pericardium

noun, the inner layer of serous pericardium, attached to the wall of the heart

tunica intima

noun, the inner layer of the wall of an artery or vein. Also called intima

uterine cavity

noun, the inside of the uterus

urinary incontinence

noun, the involuntary emission of urine

union

noun, the joining together of two parts of a fractured bone. Opposite nonunion. malunion

tibia

noun, the larger of the two long bones in the lower leg between the knee and the ankle. Also called shinbone. Compare fibula

vital capacity

noun, the largest amount of air which a person can exhale at one time

voice box

noun, the larynx, a hollow organ containing the vocal cords at the back of the throat, which produces sounds

sunlight

noun, the light from the sun; He is allergic to strong sunlight. COMMENT: Sunlight is essential to give the body Vitamin D, but excessive exposure to sunlight will not simply turn the skin brown, but also may burn the surface of the skin so badly that it dies and pus forms beneath. Constant exposure to the sun can cause cancer of the skin.

visual axis

noun, the line between the object on which the eye focuses, and the fovea

temporal lobe

noun, the lobe above the ear in each cerebral hemisphere

tongue

noun, the long muscular organ inside the mouth which can move and is used for tasting, swallowing and speaking. The top surface is covered with papillae, some of which contain taste buds. The doctor told him to stick out his tongue and say 'Ah'. Also called glossa (NOTE: For other terms referring to the tongue, see lingual and words beginning with gloss-, glosso-.)

ulna

noun, the longer and inner of the two bones in the forearm between the elbow and the wrist. Compare radius

Type II diabetes mellitus

noun, the type of diabetes mellitus in which cells throughout the body lose some or most of their ability to use insulin. It is more likely to develop in people who are over 40, who are overweight or obese, and who do not exercise regularly. It can be controlled in some cases with diet and exercise, but more severe cases may need oral medication which reduces glucose concentrations in the blood, or insulin injections, so that even cells with a poor uptake will capture enough insulin. Also called non-insulin-dependent diabetes

Type I diabetes mellitus

noun, the type of diabetes mellitus in which the beta cells of the pancreas produce little or no insulin, and the person is completely dependent on injections of insulin for survival. It is more likely to develop in people under 30. Symptoms are usually severe and occur suddenly. Also called insulin-dependent diabetes

vocal folds abducted

noun, the usual condition of the vocal cords in quiet breathing

sun

noun, the very hot and large star around which the earth travels and which gives light and heat

tabes mesenterica

noun, the wasting of glands in the abdomen

structure

noun, the way in which an organ or muscle is formed

urogenital system

noun, the whole of the urinary tract and reproductive system

vitellus

noun, the yolk of an egg (ovum)

vastus intermedius / vastus medialis / vastus lateralis

noun, three of the four parts of the quadriceps femoris, the muscle of the thigh (NOTE: The fourth is the rectus femoris.)

triad

noun, three organs or three symptoms which are linked together in a group

tissue culture

noun, tissue grown in a culture medium in a laboratory

theca

noun, tissue shaped like a sheath

submucosa

noun, tissue under a mucous membrane

trophoblast

noun, tissue which forms the wall of a blastocyst

stroma

noun, tissue which supports an organ, as opposed to the parenchyma or functioning tissues in the organ

total body irradiation

noun, treating the whole body with radiation

thermotherapy

noun, treatment using heat, e.g. from hot water or infrared lamps, to treat conditions such as arthritis and bad circulation. Also called heat therapy

trochanter

noun, two bony lumps on either side of the top end of the femur where muscles are attached; COMMENT: The lump on the outer side is the greater trochanter, and that on the inner side is the lesser trochanter.

vault

noun, vault of the skull part of the skull which includes the frontal bone, the temporal bones and the occipital bone

tachypnoea

noun, very fast breathing

ultrasound

noun, very high frequency sound waves which can be reflected off internal body parts or off a fetus in the womb to create images for medical examination (NOTE: No plural for ultrasound.) COMMENT: The very high frequency waves of ultrasound can be used to detect and record organs or growths inside the body, in a similar way to the use of X-rays, by recording the differences in echoes sent back from different tissues. Ultrasound is used routinely to monitor the development of a fetus in the womb, and to treat some conditions such as internal bruising. It can also destroy bacteria and calculi.

trichromatism

noun, vision which allows the difference between the three primary colours to be seen. Compare dichromatism, monochromatism

tunnel vision

noun, vision which is restricted to the area directly in front of the eye

strapping

noun, wide strong bandages or adhesive plaster used to bandage a large part of the body

warning

noun, written or spoken information about a danger; There's a warning on the bottle of medicine, saying that it should be kept away from children. Each packet of cigarettes has a government health warning printed on it. The health department has given out warnings about the danger of hypothermia.

walking distance

noun,the distance which someone can walk before they experience pain in their muscles, which shows the effectiveness of the blood supply to their legs

surgeon

noun; a doctor who specializes in surgery (NOTE: Although surgeons are doctors, in the UK they are traditionally called 'Mr' and not 'Dr', so 'Dr Smith' may be a GP, but 'Mr Smith' is a surgeon.)

teeth

plura,l of tooth

vocal cords

plural noun, a pair of fibrous sheets of tissue which span the cavity of the voice box (larynx) and produce sounds by vibrating. Also called ventricular folds

vital statistics

plural noun, a set of official statistics relating to the population of a place, such as the percentage of live births per thousand, the incidence of particular diseases and the numbers of births and deaths

syringo-

prefix, referring to tubes, especially the central canal of the spinal cord

transmission-based precautions

plural noun, the most recent set of guidelines for health care workers on dealing with highly infectious diseases, to be used in addition to the Standard Precautions. There are three categories: Airborne Precautions, Droplet Precautions and Contact Precautions, sometimes used in combination for diseases which can be transmitted in various ways.

vesicular breathing /vesicular breath sound

plural noun, the sound made during the normal breathing process

visiting times

plural noun, the times of day when friends are allowed into a hospital to visit patients

thoracic vertebrae

plural noun, the twelve vertebrae in the spine behind the chest, to which the ribs are attached

surgical gloves

plural noun, thin plastic gloves worn by surgeons surgical hose surgical hose noun a strong elastic stocking worn to support a weak joint in a knee or to relieve varicose veins. Also called elastic hose, surgical stocking

vasa vasorum

plural noun, tiny blood vessels in the walls of larger blood vessels

testes

plural of testis

uteri

plural of uterus

varices

plural of varix

thoraces

plural, of thorax

Varolii

pons Varolii

ventro-

prefix, 1. Ventral; 2. referring to the abdomen

super-

prefix, 1. above 2. extremely

ultra-

prefix, 1. further than 2. extremely

thrombo-

prefix, 1. referring to a blood clot; 2. referring to thrombosis

vaso-

prefix, 1. referring to a blood vessel; 2. referring to the vas deferens

tricho-

prefix, 1. referring to hair 2. like hair

temporo-

prefix, 1. referring to the temple; 2. referring to the temporal lobe

tetano-

prefix, 1. relating to tetanus 2. relating to tetany

tarso-

prefix, 1. relating to the ankle; 2. relating to the edge of the eyelid

typho-

prefix, 1. relating to typhoid fever; 2. relating to typhus

tera-

prefix, 1012. Symbol T

topo-

prefix, a place or region

supra-

prefix, above or over

tachy-

prefix, fast

tetra-

prefix, four

syn-

prefix, joint, or fused

under-

prefix, less than usual, too little

un-

prefix, not

uni-

prefix, one

tubo-

prefix, referring to a Fallopian tube or to the internal or external auditory meatus

teno-

prefix, referring to a tendon

ventricul-

prefix, referring to a ventricle in the brain or heart

telo-

prefix, referring to an end

toco-

prefix, referring to childbirth

tomo-

prefix, referring to cutting or a section

tele-

prefix, referring to distance

sterco-

prefix, referring to faeces

tropho-

prefix, referring to food or nutrition

thermo-

prefix, referring to heat or temperature

syndesm- / syndesmo-

prefix, referring to ligaments

strepto-

prefix, referring to organisms which grow in chains

toxico-

prefix, referring to poison

toxo-

prefix, referring to poison

tono-

prefix, referring to pressure

talo-

prefix, referring to the ankle bone

steth- / stetho-

prefix, referring to the chest

tympano-

prefix, referring to the eardrum

stomato-

prefix, referring to the mouth

uran-

prefix, referring to the palate

stylo-

prefix, referring to the styloid process

thalamo-

prefix, referring to the thalamus

tibio-

prefix, referring to the tibia

uretero-

prefix, referring to the ureter

urethro-

prefix, referring to the urethra

vesico-

prefix, referring to the urinary bladder

utero-

prefix, referring to the uterus

vagin-

prefix, referring to the vagina

vago-

prefix, referring to the vagus nerve

vulv-

prefix, referring to the vulva (used before vowels)

take

verb, 1. to swallow a medicine; She has to take her tablets three times a day. The medicine should be taken in a glass of water. 2. to do particular actions The dentist took an X-ray of his teeth. The patient has been allowed to take a bath. 3. (of graft) to be accepted by the body The skin graft hasn't taken. The kidney transplant took easily. (NOTE: taking - took - taken)

tend

verb, 1. to tend to do something to be inclined to do something as a normal process The prostate tends to enlarge as a man grows older. 2. to care for or attend to someone or something

throw up

verb, same as vomit (informal )

tie

verb, to attach a thread with a knot ; The surgeon quickly tied up the stitches. The nurse had tied the bandage too tight. (NOTE: tying - tied)

stick

verb, to attach something, to fix things together, e.g. with glue In bad cases of conjunctivitis the eyelids can stick together.

surround

verb, to be all around something; The wound is several millimetres deep and the surrounding flesh is inflamed.

take after

verb, to be like one or other parent He takes after his father.

swell

verb, to become larger, or cause something to become larger, The disease affects the lymph glands, making them swell. The doctor noticed that the patient had swollen glands in his neck. She finds her swollen ankles painful. (NOTE: swelling - swelled -swollen)

waste away

verb, to become thinner; When he caught the disease he simply wasted away.

thaw

verb, to bring something which is frozen back to usual temperature

undertake

verb, to carry out a procedure such as a surgical operation; Replacement of the joint is mainly undertaken to relieve pain.

transport

verb, to carry someone or something to another place; Arterial blood transports oxygen to the tissues.

thrombose

verb, to cause thrombosis in a blood vessel, or be affected by thrombosis

survive

verb, to continue to live He survived two attacks of pneumonia. The baby only survived for two hours.

transfix

verb, to cut through a part of the body completely, e.g. when amputating a limb

succeed

verb, to do well at what one was trying to do; Scientists have succeeded in identifying the new influenza virus. They succeeded in stopping the flow of blood.

thrive

verb, to do well, to live and grow strongly

undergo

verb, to experience something such as a procedure or operation; He underwent an appendicectomy. There are six patients undergoing physiotherapy.

suppurate

verb, to form and discharge pus

subside

verb, to go down or become less violent After being given the antibiotics, her fever subsided.

walk

verb, to go on foot; The baby is learning to walk. He walked when he was only eleven months old. She can walk a few steps with a Zimmer frame.

tingle

verb, to have a pricking or stinging sensation in a body part

twist

verb, to hurt a joint by turning or bending it too much or the wrong way; He twisted his ankle.

step up

verb, to increase something; (informal ) The doctor has stepped up the dosage.

vaccinate

verb, to introduce vaccine into a person's body in order to make the body create its own antibodies, so making the person immune to the disease (NOTE: You vaccinate someone against a disease.)

strangle

verb, to kill someone by squeezing the throat so that he or she cannot breathe or swallow

stun

verb, to knock someone out by a blow to the head

take care of

verb, to look after someone; The nurses will take care of the accident victims.

wean

verb, to make a baby stop breastfeeding and take other liquid or solid food, or to make a baby start to eat solid food after having only had liquids to drink; The baby was breastfed for two months and then was gradually weaned onto the bottle.

synthesise / synthesize

verb, to make a chemical compound from its separate components; Essential amino acids cannot be synthesised. The body cannot synthesise essential fatty acids and has to absorb them from food.

stimulate

verb, to make a person or organ react, respond or function; The therapy should stimulate the patient into attempting to walk unaided. The drug stimulates the heart.

swallow

verb, to make liquid, food and sometimes air go down from the mouth to the stomach Patients suffering from nosebleeds should try not to swallow the blood.

suffocate

verb, to make someone stop breathing by cutting off the supply of air to his or her nose and mouth

Weaken

verb, to make something or someone weak, or become weak; He was weakened by the disease and could not resist further infection. The swelling is caused by a weakening of the wall of the artery.

straighten

verb, to make something straight, or become straight; Her arthritis is so bad that she cannot straighten her knees.

strengthen